Gunfire Lullabies by Nore Hoogstad is a fictional thriller and suspense story set in Jakarta Indonesia and East Timor in 1999. This was a violent and turbulent time of their history. The fall of President Suharto and then East Timor’s independence ballot.
The story is told by Ava and Isabel. Their paths have crossed briefly on occasions and each has made an impact on the other.
Ava
Ava Vuyk, a wife, mother and a junior Australian diplomat is on her first overseas posting with DFAT. This is her dream job! It has taken her many years of study to get there.
As the violence in Jakarta escalates, her husband Pete and 9 year old daughter Juliette have been evacuated back to Australia, along with embassy staff. Ava remains as she is considered essential staff.
Her ambassador demands that she gloss over the reports of violence to the Australian Government. Ava witnesses mass scale destruction and tragic deaths. Her emotions are torn, there is nothing she can do to help. When she took her job she believed she could make a difference.
When Pete and Juliette return, it is obvious their marriage is over, they both have different plans.
Ava juggles being a single mother, her new social encounters, her demanding job and embassy life, in an environment of riots and gunfire.
With her marriage over, Ava is forced to work out exactly what and who are important to her.
Isabel.
Isabel Cardoso lives in the village of Liquica in East Timor. She is 17, unmarried and tends her families vegetable plot. She is a devout Catholic. At school Isabel was bright and the nuns encouraged her to consider university. She dreams of a good job and a better life. The reality is her place is in the village.
Liquica is a resistance strong hold, you were watched by nosy neighbours, meddling priests, the Indonesian authorities and the local Timorese cohorts.
Isabel’s brother Gil is expected to join the militia. Even knowing there will be consequences for his family if he doesn’t join, he disappears to join the Timorese Resistance.
The consequences are that the leader of the Gardapaksi snatches Isabel to be his personal slave.
Isabel wonders what she has done to deserve this fate, she believes God has turned his back on her.
The book is a fascinating read and often quite sad. It is very thought provoking.
Nore Hoogstad is a former Australian and UN Diplomat who was posted to Jakarta and Dili in 1999.
Although the characters are fictional, it is clear she has drawn on her own experiences to write this emotional and gripping story of Ava and Isabel.
Author: Nore Hoogstad
ISBN: 9780645128932
Copy courtesy of Nore Hoogstad
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Gunfire Lullabies by Nore Hoogstad. You can read their comments below, or add your own review. Sign up for our club here.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
Fabulous review Anne.
Gunfire Lullabies is the first book I have read regarding the East Timor issues. It was very interesting to learn more about the politics and what the people had to endure. The author clearly understands the political issues of the region well.
The main characters were likeable and certainly shows the difficulty of being a woman. One was a mother juggling work and parenting, and the other, a young girl in a traditional East Timor village where girls know their place.
Unfortunately I found the book too long winded and could probably be edited to a shorter version. But saying that, it could be the fact that I don’t know enough about politics.
It is a thought provoking and sad novel, and definitely worth a read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.
Gunfire Lullabies is a story ( fictional) based and set in Jakarta Indonesia and East Timor in 1999 during riots and a most violent time.
Two main characters are Ava, who witnesses so much violence, destruction and death, time away from her husband and daughter and a much unsettling life.
Isabel, who is from a tiny village and is captured by the leader of the Gardapaksi to be his personal slave. At only 17 years of age she feels lost in the world and wonders what will become of her.
A heartbreaking and sad story written by Nore Hoogstad who has captured in essence what can and does really happen in tough political times such as the story setting.
Gunfire Lullabies is written by former diplomat, political advisor and press secretary Nore Hoogstad. It is a inspired by real life events in 1999 when East Timor chose independence from Indonesia and riots erupted.
After the independence struggle for East Timor spanning twenty-three years Australian diplomat Ava Vuyk, a wife and mother is sent on her first posting to Jakarta to report the future of the East Timorese in which they would vote for their freedom. She witnesses a trail of devastation in its wake, attacks by pro-Indonesia militia groups on civilians, and violence throughout the country. Many countries looked the other way to appease Indonesia including Australia, Ava must determine whether to report the rampage through the country to give them a voice in belief Australia will take a step forward or turn a blind eye as her ambassador stipulates.
Seventeen-year-old farm girl, Isabel Cardoso from a village in Liquica, East Timor is kidnapped by militia leader Gabriel, her brother Gil refuses to join Timorese Resistance and escapes to the jungle. Isabel is made a slave and struggles with the demands of Gabriel; she longs for a better future and holds onto the hope one day she will be rescued.
I loved the main leads of Ava and Isabel, they were both strong women that were faced with many challenges and were exposed to varied and multiple traumatic events, but they still had hope during the difficulty, and saw the faint glimmer of something better
Gunfire Lullabies is beautifully written, so full of feeling, so emotionally evocative, it is very well-researched and educational. I knew very little of the struggles the Timorese faced, East Timor is a country of extremes and a country of transitions. Even though the characters are fictional you cannot help but feel moved by the real-life events. It is a very enjoyable read.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Nore Hoogstad for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Nore Hoogstad for the opportunity to read and review Gunfire Lullabies.
I am old enough to remember the conflict in East Timor and Indonesia but not so old to remember the details or the effects on the Timorese and Australia’s involvement.
The characters were beautifully written and the change in chapters to be from different voices lent a depth to the story to gain different perspectives of the situation as it arose.
Nore was able to capture the role of diplomats and how gaining an understanding of the people can provide precious insight into situations and also what role the diplomats can play going forward.
I found the story educational and moving and would recommend others to read it.