The Minnow

by Diana Sweeney

Tom survived a devastating flood that claimed the lives of her sister and parents. Now she lives with Bill in his old shed by the lake. But it's time to move out - Tom is pregnant with Bill's baby. Jonah lets her move in with him. Mrs Peck gives her the Fishmaster Super Series tackle box. Nana is full of gentle good advice and useful sayings. And in her longing for what is lost, Tom talks to fish: Oscar the carp in the pet shop, little Sarah catfish who might be her sister, an unhelpful turtle in a tank at the maternity ward. And the Minnow.

• ISBN10: 192218201X
• ISBN13: 9781922182012
• Publish Date: 28 May 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 16 March 2021
• Publish Country: AU
• Publisher: Text Publishing
• Imprint: The Text Publishing Company
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 266
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

3½ Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/06/the-minnow-by-diana-sweeney.html
The Minnow is a story of grief, loss and one young girl learning to heal. Tom, who's nickname is all she's known by, is an incredible character. Although her short life so far has been ravaged by incredible sadness, she lives with a fairytale type, whimsical outlook. She talks to the spirit of those around her who have passed, she speaks with fish in the pet shop and inlet, and of course The Minnow, which is what she's decided to call her unborn child. I'm sure it's not uncommon for those experiencing such sadness, to talk to the deceased, but Tom often describes their conversations and being able to physically touch the dead. I felt incredibly sad for Tom and her unborn child, although she now lives with her best friend Jonah, who is a huge support, she's a young girl without her mother who is potentially facing life as a single parent at only fifteen years old.

Throughout The Minnow, Tom shares her love of words plucked from her dictionary. It was incredibly endearing. But as much as I loved Tom's character, the storyline left me confused at times. I needed to reread passages to find a hidden meaning to unravel the story, constantly feeling as though I was missing something. It jumped from what was the present, to Tom recalling incidents that I wasn't sure had happened, or like talking to the dead, were a figment of her imagination. I have a theory on what the storyline was alluding to, but sadly it's never quite confirmed.My only main gripe was that so many in town knew who fathered The Minnow, but so many adults had let her down.

So how do you review a book that you didn't quite understand? Easy. It was beautiful, and a worthy winner of the Text Prize. I'm going with the premise that we're never quite meant to understand, and that's what the wonder of The Minnow is. It's supposed to provoke thought and for the reader to draw their on conclusions, It was simply lovely. It allows the reader to see the beauty of our world though the eyes of a girl who has a second chance, and a new life to live for. And it goes without saying, that cover is simply divine.