Jacqueline Maley is a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald whose first novel, The Truth About Her, was published last year with a reprint in 2022. The main character of the novel, Suzy Hamilton, is a journalist who has written an article exposing a woman who falsely claimed to have cancer which she cured through nutritional products she sold online. A day after the article appears, the young woman takes her own life. The story documents the cascade of consequences this event initiates for Suzy, and how she struggles to emerge from her burden of guilt.
Apart from the intriguing premise of the story, The Truth About Her is memorable for the fascinating character Jacqueline Maley has created in Suzy Hamilton. A journalist and single mother of a preschool-aged daughter, Suzy’s first-person narration creates a strong voice in the novel. Suzy’s observations about the world of journalism, society’s attitudes toward single mothers, and the peculiarities of the people, places, and local politics of Sydney create a character who feels as authentic as a close friend. Suzy’s wry comments as well as her predicament are what keep you reading.
Amidst all the difficulties of her work and relationships, Suzy clings for support to the one constant in her life, her young daughter, Maddy. Maley’s descriptions of the multitude of tasks and decisions involved for Suzy in raising her daughter is an aspect of the novel that is particularly rich and well executed. Suzy’s strong love for her daughter contrasts with the complicated relationships she has with the men in her life. Then the dead woman’s mother starts to stalk Suzy, bringing with her threatening demands. With the strong bond between Suzy and her daughter so well established by this stage of the story, the tension Maley creates is nail-biting.
This novel feels contemporary and close to the real-life dilemmas that confront mothers of young children and journalists who are simply doing their job. As a reader, I felt drawn into Suzy Hamilton’s life and anxious for her wellbeing while enjoying her take on the situations and characters around her. Maley is a master of the quick sketch of secondary characters; they feel instantly recognisable. She also writes wonderful sensory descriptions of the parks, streets, and climate of Sydney, making The Truth About Her a perfect read for the summer holidays.
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