‘Moving and memorable’ The Story of Before review from Melbourne Libraries

Review from The Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation, Melbourne, Australia

The Story of Before
Reading Rewards – reviews – Tue, 04/11/2014 – 08:30
The Story of Before by Susan Stairs

From the cover: On New Year’s Eve, eleven-year-old Ruth and her brother and sister sit at a bedroom window, watching the garden of their new Dublin home being covered in a thick blanket of snow. Ruth declares that a bad thing will happen in the coming year – she’s sure of it. But she cannot see the outline of that thing – she cannot know that it will change their lives utterly, that the
shape of their future will be carved into two parts: the before and the after. Or that it will break her heart and break her family. This is Ruth’s story. It is the story of before.

This debut novel was a great find! Beautifully written, it evoked many memories of childhood, particularly fighting with siblings (!). Set in the 1970s, the family has moved into a new housing estate, one the children freely roam during a long, hot summer. Told through eleven-year-old Ruth’s eyes, the arrival of baby brother Kevin is the turning point for her, along with trying to fit into the already closely formed friendship groups on the new estate.

You can’t help but pick up on the underpinning tension which increases as the family’s lives begin to unravel at Hillcourt Rise. Knowing there is worse to come keeps the pages turning, though this is far from being an action-packed novel. It is a slow progression that offers much to the reader – laughter, suspense, and heartbreaking sorrow. An intelligent read and not one to rush through, The Story of Before is a moving and memorable first offering from this author.
Deb.