GITH
Chris Else
Vintage, pbk, $26
Review by Kathy Young
For anyone who is contemplating a shift to a small town because of a misguided longing for community, compassion and connection, Gith is a good place to start in ridding them of those ideals.
This is a small town exposed for its essential truth, the characters believable, reproachable, recognisable.
There is sweetness and light but also madness, anger, violence, family dysfunction and the whole sordid mess that generational infighting can do to the fabric of a small population who, essentially, need each other.
The narrator runs the local service station and has a bird's-eye view of who passes through town.
Ken grew up there, went away and came back when he wanted to reconnect with his family because his marriage broke down.
The divorce was probably inevitable but was hastened by the complications of an accident that left him the caretaker of his niece.
Of course, there is more to the story than that as well as more to the relationship between niece and uncle.
And when the small town gets the full story, people start showing their true colours.
But their relationship isn't the central tale of Gith. This is a classic mystery about an abduction and grisly murder.
Gith is what Gith, formerly known as Anna, says when she means "yes".
"Narg" is the equivalent of no and that is about the extent of Gith's vocabulary after the car accident.
Thus, not many people pay attention when she tries to explain who abducted the hitchhiker, and in which vehicle, no matter how vocal her uncle is in trying to explain that she isn't dumb, she just can't speak.
I don't like mysteries as a rule, particularly murder mysteries, for the very reason that they create tension and suspense and fear when written well.
I didn't want to keep reading as much as I wanted to know who did it because I don't like having my suspicions about how badly people can and do treat each other confirmed and illustrated so well.
Rather a backhanded compliment, I realise, but it is possible to be good and clever at presenting essential badness accurately.
If you like a murder mystery, even if you don't, this book is to be commended.
It may read like a walk down memory lane if you grew up in a small town and it could convince you that the big smoke has a lot going for it after all, if you didn't. There are gory, sad and ugly bits, especially for any dog lovers.
- Kathy Young is a Dunedin fundraiser and writer.
