A black comedy, set in suburbia, about one woman’s struggle to be free.
When Winona Dalloway begins her day – in the peaceful early hours before her children, that ‘tiny tornado of little hands and feet’, wake up – she doesn’t know that by the end of it, everything in her world will have changed.
On the outside, Winona is a seemingly unremarkable young mother- unobtrusive, quietly going about her tasks. But within is a vivid, chaotic self, teeming with voices – a mind both wild and precise.
And meanwhile, a storm is brewing …
‘Darkly funny, astute, timely – Thunderhead’s protagonist insists on being heard, and we as readers feel compelled to listen. To care. Such a fresh and lovely voice, full of humour, insight, and energy. I loved Winona – and her story.’
-Sofie Laguna
‘Thunderhead takes the brewing storm of domesticity and cracks it open with incredible vulnerability, generosity, and humour. At once Rachel Cusk, at once Jenny Offill, and altogether entirely Miranda Darling, this powerful, restless, irresistible novel is essential reading.’
-Laura Jean Mckay
Format: Hardback
Pages: 160
Imprint: Scribe Australia
Publication date: 03/04/2024
Thunderhead
by Miranda Darling
Review by Alex A
This darkly hilarious, modern take on Mrs Dalloway had me hooked from the first page. The story follows a wealthy suburban mother, Winona, as she goes about her seemingly innocuous day. The reader is eddied along in a stream-of-consciousness that nearly rambles, then snaps back to the real world, her multiple and distinctive inner voices chiming in as needed.
Descriptions of mundane tasks are searingly, painfully good. She tries to suppress road rage by listening to classical music while faced with “angry white-van drivers”. She feels depressed by a visit to the mall: ”A wave of strange and ill-defined sorrow hits me here in this artificial temple of promise.”
As the day progresses, the darker elements of Winona’s life become apparent, in the form of mental health struggles heightened by a troubled marriage. Her erudite, unhinged self-realisation was incredibly relatable, and her singular voice is unforgettable.
Perfect for fans of Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, or Ash by Louise Wallace.
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