UNFINISHED WOMAN

A bestselling Australian author explores the impact of her mother’s suicide.

In 1977, Davidson, then in her late 20s, made a 1,700-mile journey across the Australian desert (detailed in her memoir, Tracks), accompanied by only her dog and camels to carry her gear. In her latest book, she focuses on family. For years, she struggled to write about her mother, who died by suicide when Davidson was 11. Following her death, Davidson’s father was left to raise her and her sister alone. The author shares childhood memories of her parents and the dynamics of family life, including mockery and anger from her sister. Uncertain about whether jealousy over being displaced in maternal affection was the cause of her sister’s hostility, the author writes, “Either way, one must never forget the crucial importance of point of view.” At age 18, Davidson hitched a ride to Sydney, where she slept in parks and searched rubbish bins for food and other necessities. Over time, she and her father would become “dearest of friends,” but at the time, they were also “strangers to each other.” The author continued her nomadic life, living in more than 50 houses since childhood, taking on odd jobs, and meeting individuals with varying idiosyncrasies, as she attempted to come to terms with her “own strangeness in the midst of strangers.” Eventually, she met Narendra, her companion for more than 20 years. In reflection, Davidson writes, “I wish I could write about that ancestral self as if there were clear continuity between us, but I can hardly believe we are the same person. I cannot enter her mind as it was, but as I imagine it now, from this far-distant perspective.” In this complex yet disconnected memoir, Davidson often remains detached from the events she describes.

Well-written and insightful but curiously lacking in emotion.