The Long, Long Afternoon is set in 1950s America when issues such as racism and misogyny were so prevalent and a time when society felt obliged to hide all their personal problems under a false façade. In other words, a time when there was a lot of discontent for others and a lot of hidden secrets. Sounds like the perfect setting for a crime, right? Well absolutely.
I’m sure many of us now know the feeling of a long, long afternoon, but nothing quite comes close to this. Joyce Haney, a member of the Sunnylakes Women’s committee, disappears one afternoon leaving her terrified daughters behind and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor. Left to put the pieces together, Ruby, the Haney’s household help, teams up with disgraced detective Mick to uncover the truth. Whilst battling their own personal issues they discover that there is more to the community than fake smiles and idyllic lives.
This book gives belittled women a voice and shows the battle behind facing prejudice. Ruby, a minority character, is so empowering as she stands up for her rights and fights the discrimination she faces for her race, gender and class. She refuses to be underestimated and knocked down by those discouraging her throughout the story and persists in finding the truth behind the disappearance of Joyce.
With dysfunctional families at the heart of it, this book battles with trauma, mental health, prejudice, and really feels relevant for a lot of the recent movements happening in today’s society as well. Whilst the ending was not particularly shocking in a plot-twist fashion, the final ending of the book was both tense and satisfying. Inga Vesper has created an atmospheric who-done-it that uses retro aesthetic and commentary on injustice to show that there is more to the world than what meets the eye.
I’m sure many of us now know the feeling of a long, long afternoon, but nothing quite comes close to this. Joyce Haney, a member of the Sunnylakes Women’s committee, disappears one afternoon leaving her terrified daughters behind and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor. Left to put the pieces together, Ruby, the Haney’s household help, teams up with disgraced detective Mick to uncover the truth. Whilst battling their own personal issues they discover that there is more to the community than fake smiles and idyllic lives.
This book gives belittled women a voice and shows the battle behind facing prejudice. Ruby, a minority character, is so empowering as she stands up for her rights and fights the discrimination she faces for her race, gender and class. She refuses to be underestimated and knocked down by those discouraging her throughout the story and persists in finding the truth behind the disappearance of Joyce.
With dysfunctional families at the heart of it, this book battles with trauma, mental health, prejudice, and really feels relevant for a lot of the recent movements happening in today’s society as well. Whilst the ending was not particularly shocking in a plot-twist fashion, the final ending of the book was both tense and satisfying. Inga Vesper has created an atmospheric who-done-it that uses retro aesthetic and commentary on injustice to show that there is more to the world than what meets the eye.