05/04/2025
Another fabulous review of ‘Foreign Attachments’ … congratulations Roslyn McFarland
This lovely review was written by Anne Nicholson and posted in FB's Reading Room Group page. I wanted to share it here but could only do so by cutting and pasting.
So here it is:
I have just finished reading Roslyn McFarland’s latest novel, Foreign Attachments, and what a wonderful read it is. Through the fictional Neve, a young Sydney-based art curator who falls in love with the celebrated French musician Antoine, we are transported to the iconic streets and landmarks of Paris when Neve moves there to be with him. Through Neve’s interest in Stella Bowen, a non-fictional but sadly not well-known Australian painter and official WWII artist, (some of her work is in the Australian War Memorial) we travel back one hundred years as Stella, barely an adult, leaves Australia by boat to pursue her dream to be a painter.
As Neve researches and writes a fictionalised account of Stella Bowen, the difference in their lives is stark. Whereas 21st century Neve has agency and an established career, Stella is confined by the norms and mores of the early 20th century. As Stella meets an eclectic mix of artists such as Ezra Pound, she falls in love with the novelist, Ford Madox Ford and in the 1920s, in financial dire straits, they move to Paris with their daughter. Here, as they immerse themselves in the vibrant artistic scene of the time, Stella works at her art while juggling her other responsibilities, all the while dealing with Ford’s many betrayals
Neve’s relationship with Antoine is happy and she has found work in her chosen field. Yet not all is well. The acts of terrorism and natural tragedies that befall Paris during this time hint at an underlying tension. Maybe there are more similarities between Neve and Stella than first thought. Although seriously talented, both encounter barriers many women face. You know, the more things change etc. etc.?
I loved the journey this novel took me on. Another trip to the Australian War Memorial is on the cards, too.