Illuminations

Author: Gillian Polack

Publisher: Trivium Publishing

Set mostly in France, Illuminations tells the story of Rose, an Australian academic. Not surprisingly with her older ‘in the-habit of “squelching-Rose”’ siblings, Rose suffers from poor self-esteem. While in France, on a Sabbatical from her university, she is not only in the midst of trying to solve, long-distance, a major relationship problem with her ‘low-life’ boyfriend but also coming to terms with the strong likelihood of her father’s death. 

While grappling with these crises, Rose stumbles upon a medieval Arthurian manuscript. Translating it, she discovers the manuscript recounts the story of two women and their journey learning their place and purpose in life. By making sense of the women’s adventures Rose illuminates her own life’s purpose.

The novel develops Rose into a multi-facet, likeable and sympathetic character who gains confidence in herself, the Arthurian sub-plot a tool enabling her to do so. 

Through Rose’s engaging, often humorous letters home to her mother, a dynamic picture emerges of the characters making up Rose’s family. The personality of Rose’s mother in particular is well drawn in the letters through Rose’s obvious love and closeness.  

“Illuminations” is an intelligent work, brave enough to break the usual rules of novel writing in its story telling. Rose writes in one of her footnotes to the translation, the frequent, typical ‘Aussie’ asides to her mother, ‘I am rewriting it and you are reading my rewriting.’ This explains the crafting of this novel. The Medieval romance is told through Rose’s own point of view and is the beacon illuminating Rose’s her way forward in this difficult period of her life, teaching her living involves more than burying her head in research and books, making her strong enough to lift her gaze to the light, despite the unknown, uncertain future.

Home