Kathryn Heyman's new novel, Circle of Wonders, centres on Roni, a charismatic yet unreliable woman dying of cancer in the Blue Mountains. As she nears death, her estranged daughter Belle, half-sister Anna, and friend Pip gather to care for her, each grappling with their complicated love and resentment towards her.
The novel explores themes of rage, vulnerability, forgiveness, and spirituality. Roni, a free spirit who collected crystals and read tarot, compiles a 'book of wonders' to guide her healing circle. The women reject patriarchal religion, instead embracing meditation, self-compassion, and New Age practices.
Belle, in recovery and angry, has notebooks filled with grievances against her mother. Anna, an academic who fled to England, has not spoken to Roni or Belle for years. Pip, met in a cancer survivors group, worships Roni and wants her last weeks to herself. Meanwhile, Roni's mother Sylvie dies alone in hospital, bequeathing a legacy of perfectionism.
Heyman's prose sharpens as the novel progresses, softening the characters' hard edges. Anna learns to let love in and let it go; Belle strives to love the world without her mother's blazing presence. The final sections are carried by keening waves of emotion.
While some readers may find the New Age elements tremulous, the novel's strength lies in its acid-etched portrait of a dysfunctional family. Heyman captures the voices, flaws, and rage of her characters, delivering a story about women struggling to put aside hurts and do right by one another.
