barbara fister reviewed Tally Stick by Carl Nixon
Review of 'Tally Stick' on 'LibraryThing'
As the novel opens, three children are waking up to the catastrophic accident that will shapet the rest of their lives. Their parents, who just moved to New Zealand, had been touring the country when their car careened off a cliff in a remote part of the country, killing them both, along with their infant daughter. The resourceful Katherine helps her two injured brothers climb out of the wrecked car to find shelter and wait for the authorities to come find them. They never do. returnreturnBut a man does appear, who takes them to a broken-down farm where he lives with a woman who makes healing potions. Maurice's injured leg begins to heal, but poor Tommy has suffered a brain injury that never will. Katherine and Maurice are required to work around the farm to pay for their care, room, and board. They are effectively captives. returnreturnMeanwhile we learn about …
As the novel opens, three children are waking up to the catastrophic accident that will shapet the rest of their lives. Their parents, who just moved to New Zealand, had been touring the country when their car careened off a cliff in a remote part of the country, killing them both, along with their infant daughter. The resourceful Katherine helps her two injured brothers climb out of the wrecked car to find shelter and wait for the authorities to come find them. They never do. returnreturnBut a man does appear, who takes them to a broken-down farm where he lives with a woman who makes healing potions. Maurice's injured leg begins to heal, but poor Tommy has suffered a brain injury that never will. Katherine and Maurice are required to work around the farm to pay for their care, room, and board. They are effectively captives. returnreturnMeanwhile we learn about the dead mother's sister and her efforts to find the family. Maurice's remains are found after four years, older than when the car crashed - what happened to him in all that time? We seesaw back and forth between her quest and the lives of the children at the farm. returnreturnThis is ultimately a story about survival and about what makes a family. It's uncomfortable at times (and I dislike captivity narratives on the whole) but is quite engaging. And the landscape really comes to life.
