After losing many things, including her car in the shopping centre car park – and some critical work files – Maxine’s forgetfulness has been getting worse, and her doctor is concerned she has early onset dementia.
When they get this disturbing news, Maxine’s daughter, Rose, has a lot on her plate. She has been trying to get pregnant with her partner, who seems to be getting cold feet about the idea, and now she needs to make sure her mother has the appropriate care. But she has been having her own memory problems of late, too – she has a recurring memory of a locked cupboard and the panic of claustrophobia. It seems to have something to do with their old family home in Kutarere.
When Maxine escapes to their old family home with a shadowy impulse that she needs to go there urgently, a concerned Rose follows. They try to get their bearings in the familiar house in this new circumstance; they also must deal with the past colliding with the present. Secrets from many years ago surprise them both, and they learn their memories may not always be reliable.
A House Built on Sand is an absorbing, haunting novel, beautifully written with compelling characters. Tina sensitively shows what it might be like to have early-stage dementia, with the mixture of old competence and new confusion, momentary forgetfulness in the present while examining older memories—as well as how the illness impacts loved ones. The story also has a mystery at its core that is only revealed at the end. This is a book to savour, and it is easy to see why it was awarded the Michael Gifkins Prize.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Text Publishing