The Grapevine, Kate Kemp
There are some novels that you know are just your kind of read as soon as you hear about them, and then something inside you clicks as you turn the first page. For me, The Grapevine by Kate Kemp is one of those rare books. We meet the residents of Warrah Place, a seemingly ordinary suburban cul-de-sac in 1970s Australia; however, when a novel starts with a young woman scrubbing blood off her bathroom floor at 3am while her husband makes sure no one will find out that their neighbour Antonio has been murdered, you know this cul-de-sac will never be the same again.
As the news of Antonio’s death spreads through the neighbourhood, Tammy, one of the young residents of Warrah Place, becomes determined to discover what happened to him. In a lesser writer’s hands, this could have been a two-dimensional whodunnit narrative, but here it becomes a layered and nuanced examination of a microcosm of society that reveals a whole host of preconceptions and prejudices. Through the attitudes and reactions of the neighbours, we see what they really think about women, marriage, parenthood, sexuality, race, identity and immigration, and yet, these perceptions are woven seamlessly into the multiple character perspectives and engrossing plot.
What sets The Grapevine apart from other novels is the fact that its central premise of Tammy trying to discover who killed Antonio soon evolves into a much more complex and intriguing narrative. Every character was connected to him in some way, and Kemp allows into these people’s lives; behind closed doors, we see them for who they really are.
So, who killed Antonio? Of course, I am not going to tell you but will say only this - you will never guess. That is what makes The Grapevine such a captivating and thought-provoking read. And trust me, you will never look at your neighbours in the same way again.
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