The Only Child

The Only Child is historical fiction-cum-murder mystery by Kayte Nunn. The novel follows two timelines and the reader is tasked with piecing together the connection between them. In the first timeline, which takes place in 2013, deputy sheriff Frankie Gray moves into her mother’s house on a small island. Early on it becomes apparent that a nun has been murdered in the nursing home where Frankie’s own grandmother resides. At the same time, Frankie’s mother is turning an old ‘fallen women’ home into a bed and breakfast, and comes across photos, ledgers and various other clues for Frankie to stumble upon. There’s a love interest, a sullen teenage daughter, a suspicious man, breadcrumb memories from Frankie’s life, and plenty of red herrings. In the second timeline, set in 1949, an unnamed girl becomes pregnant and is sent away with the intention she’ll give up her baby to a good Catholic family, then resume her life, unblemished. In reality the nuns are abusive, the girls are mistreated, and they’re all coerced into giving up their babies. If it seems like there are a few too many moving parts in this novel, that’s because there are: despite the page-turning quality of Nunn’s writing, there’s a lot happening and often not enough detail. However, many themes surface over the course of this book, and while it’s a lot to take in, there are some important ones: intergenerational trauma, Catholic guilt, and the healing of broken moments from the past. For lovers of classic commercial fiction, The Only Child is a thrilling feminist tale revealing stories that have too often been left buried. Danielle Bagnato is a book reviewer and marketing and communications professional.

Kayte Nunn is a former book and magazine editor, and the author of six previous novels, including the international bestselling The Botanist’s Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, The Silk House and The Last Reunion. The Botanist’s Daughter was the 2020 winner of the Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize. Kayte lives in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

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