From one squat to another they travel until they come across an abandoned house in the northwest plains. Theirs is a truly despondent and sorry story of life on the brink; literally in a borderland of legal/illegal activities, and also emotionally.
Shane is a petty thief who strips heritage homes in the dead of night and sells the furniture. Moira accepts their way of life and Shane's occasional jail stints but aspires to a more respectable lifestyle. Yet, while Shane, Moira and Midge, with teenage Zara and Rory in tow, are bedraggled and have lives we do not envy there are also comedic elements which shine through the gloom.
Sherborne's empathetic writing is responsible for the humour in Tree Palace. There are both tragic and comic elements in the characters' actions: for instance, when 15-year-old Zara abandons her baby, young grandmother Moira takes over with gusto.
Conversations and physical confrontations between the core people are reminiscent of silent-film humour as these characters plan their next moves for survival.
Tree Palace's cover hints at the odd mixture of dishevelment and unrealistic grandeur within. An intricate chandelier which has seen better days dangles lopsided from the branches of a leafy tree, the image silhouetted against a bright blue sky. And this mixture is one of the endearing features of the story: the characters are essentially good, and we believe in their redemption.
Sherborne writes movingly and with poetic grace. Characters come across as an extension of the landscape: a landscape that will outlive the characters as they move through fleetingly.
It is a relief to read this novel from a safe distance. While it is fascinating in a voyeuristic, readerly way to follow the plot twists, that is about as close as we are willing to be. This is a great novel, and Sherborne a novelist to look out for.
- Jessie Neilson is a University of Otago library assistant.
