Author:Graham Rawle
Welcome to Overland!Where the California sun shines down on synthetic grass and plastic oranges bedeck the trees all year round. Steam billows gently from the chimney tops and the blue tarpaulin lake is open for fishing…
Hollywood set-designer George Godfrey has been called on to do his patriotic duty and he doesn’t believe in half-measures. If he is going to hide an American aircraft plant from the threat of Japanese aerial spies he has an almighty job on his hands. He will need an army of props and actors to make the Lockheed factory vanish behind the semblance of a suburban town. Every day, his “Residents” climb through a trapdoor in the factory roof to shift model cars, shop for imaginary groceries and rotate fake sheep in felt-green meadows.
Overland is a beacon for the young women labouring below it: Queenie, dreaming of movie stardom while welding sheet metal; Kay, who must seek refuge from the order to intern “All Persons of Japanese Ancestry”. Meanwhile, George’s right-hand Resident, Jimmy, knows that High Command aren’t at all happy with the camouflage project...
With George so bewitched by his own illusion, might it risk confusing everybody – not just the enemy?
Overland is a book like no other -- to be read in landscape format. Based on true events, it is a novel where characters' dreams and desires come down to earth with more than a bump, confronting the hardships of life during wartime. As surreal and playful as it is affecting and unsettling, no-one other than Graham Rawle could have created it.
Rawle cut his teeth as an artist and designer and this sparky, inventive novel betrays his pedigree ... So appealing. Having arranged his stage-flats and his harum-scarum performers, Rawles manages to make them all feel of value.
—— Xan Brooks , The GuardianOne of the most innovative artist-writers we have
—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on SundayRawle has a vivid visual imagination
—— Dominic Maxwell , The TimesThis is a beautiful book, not just in terms of its design, but in its moral integrity. A lesser writer would have made it all satire, and yet here there is much humanity and empathy. It takes Graham Rawle several years to compose his books; they are wholly worth the wait
—— Stuart Kelly , Times Literary SupplementGraham Rawle, the talented writer-artist, is back with another innovative work that fearlessly experiments with form and style. Written in a landscape format, the book takes place in two worlds—the Over and the Under. This surreal and fantastical world hovers above California in 1942. Overland is intricate, playful and vigorous—an experience to relish.
—— Rabeea Saleem , BookRiotOverland is marvellous, and in common with all of Rawle’s work, you may put it down, but it’ll never let you go ... Highly recommended reading—and re-reading!
—— Lee RandallBeautifully written... In elegant but emotionally devastating prose Bracht conveys the heartbreaking impact of brutality and war upon women
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Sunday ExpressBracht's rich detail and captivating characters bring history vividly to life. An insightful, engaging and deeply emotional page-turner
—— ScotsmanIf you're a fan of The Kite Runner and Memoirs of A Geisha, you'll love Mary Lynn Bracht's novel... Both educating and engaging, Bracht’s rich detail and captivating characters plunge you into Korean history in a heartbreaking and deeply emotional page-turner
—— Rebecca Wilcock , i newspaperAn evocative picture of loss and also an account of how one of the deepest human bonds can survive almost anything
—— James Naughtie , BBC Radio 4 Today ProgrammeAn emotional tale of sisterly endurance and a fascinating and harrowing insight into the hidden lives of Korean comfort women... you’ll be captivated. Let the bidding for movie rights begin
—— The PoolA soul-churning ode to the power of family love (and the ties that bind sisters specifically) and the importance of pursuing justice in the face of systemic silence... an unflinching-but-ultimately-redemptive book that places a much-needed spotlight on a forgotten moment of human horror
—— Emerald StreetDevastatingly good
—— PsychologiesA harrowing and powerful read, offering an insight into the widespread suffering of others during the war
—— VogueBracht brings the truth to light with sensitivity... Bracht's beautiful descriptions are the perfect foil to the brutality... fascinating
—— Expressan original, shocking novel, contrasting mankind’s capacity for cruelty with the unquenchable strength ofthe human spirit, even in the most dire of circumstances
—— Richard Hopton , Country & Town HouseWhat a story this terrific storyteller has to tell
—— Woman & HomeBrave, bold, important
—— Jackie Copleton, author of A Dictionary of Mutual UnderstandingAn impressive debut novel from a writer with a sensitive heart and gifted mind
—— Xiaolu Guo, a Granta Best of Young British NovelistsA captivating, beautiful debut. Warning: you’ll shed many tears
—— Jennifer McShane , ImageA fascinating debut
—— Elizabeth Archer , Daily ExpressOffers a valuable insight into a neglected area of history... epic
—— Anthony Gardner , Daily MailA deeply moving read about the savage cruelty of war, and the perseverance of love
—— Alice O'Keefe , The BooksellerMasterfully crafted, Bracht's mesmerizing debut novel is rich with historical detail and depth of emotion. this is a memorable story about the courage of Korean women during the Second World War
—— Publishers' WeeklySuspenseful and eye-opening... In this story of a community nearly obliterated by war but saved by the strength of will of generations of women, Bracht humanizes tragedy while highlighting important social issues. Once they devour this book, readers will be looking for more
—— Library Journal (Starred Review)A captivating, beautiful debut. Warning: you'll shed many tears
—— Book ClubElegantly written, emotionally shattering, and historically accurate, White Chrysanthemum is a feat of literary alchemy. Mary Lynn Bracht reveals the unfathomable cruelty of Japanese sex slavery during World War II through the unbreakable love of Korean sisters
—— Blaine Harden, New York Times bestselling author of Escape From Camp 14White Chrysanthemum is a powerful account of a little discussed subject about the Second World War -- comfort women enslaved by the Japanese army -- but it’s also about the courage of the women involved who want to speak about their suffering and their cry for justice, peace and love. Hana’s tragic life is just one of an estimated 200,000 Korean comfort women’s stories. Beautifully written, it’s an impressive debut novel from a writer with a sensitive heart and gifted mind
—— Xiaolu GuoA captivating, controlled and devastating book about the lives of two Korean sisters during the Second World War… Allows us to look at the immediate travesty of the so-called 'comfort women' and the unresolved consequences of sexual slavery for the victims' families. Brave, bold, important, this book is beautifully written with characters that will stay with you long after the final, unforgettable paragraph
—— Jackie Copleton, author of A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding
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