Lilian's Story by Kate Grenville

Courtesy of: Becky from Page Turners

Lilian's Story is based a true Sydney character named Bea Miles, a homeless woman famous particularly in the 1950's and 1960's for causing havoc and giving Shakespeare recitations around Central Station in Sydney. You can read more about her at the Australian Dictionary of Biography (Online Edition).

Having read The Secret River by Kate Grenville earlier this year (read my review here) and being a little disappointed I was a little apprehensive when I commenced Lilian's Story. Fortunately, I soon discovered that Lilian's Story is very different to The Secret River, in a good way.

Like The Secret River, Lilian's Story is written as a linear passage through time, however I think the depth of character Grenville establishes in Lilian's Story is far superior.  It is written in first person narrative, which helps the reader gain an insight into Lilian's mind and thought processes.

The book has no plot per se, but rather it is an examination of Lilian's life experiences, from her birth through to her depth. Lilian was born in the year of Federation, raised by parents with traditional values and suffered from abuse perpetrated against her by her father. Her life follows no path, just as Lilian wouldn't have liked it to. Instead, she moved to the beat of her own drum, experiencing university, spending time in a mental institution and eventually living a happy and satisfying life as a homeless person in Sydney. It is really a very detailed examination of one person's daily realities, giving the reader a fascinating perspective not just on Lilian's personal history, but on Australia's post-Victorian history as well.

I have to admit to feeling somewhat uncomfortable reading about the early parts of her life, particularly her primary school years. I recognised my own awkwardness in her behaviour, and felt that I could identify with how she reacted to the bullying that she suffered from. She didn't shrink from the attention, instead she sought the other children's approval more and more desperately, by stealing things and making up stories. I really felt for Lilian reading about her formative years, I felt what she felt when she didn't receive the approval that she was so desperately seeking.

It was then interesting to see this unusual child turn into the young woman that she does. It was painful for me to see her grow into adulthood; struggling through university, negotiating male/female romantic relationships and surviving the horrific crime perpetrated against her by her own father.

Although her behaviour as a young woman is unusual to everyone for it's seeming rejection of typical norms and values, it still becomes more obvious that her unusual behaviour might be the result of an underlying problem. I know the publisher's description describes her as a "true eccentric", I suspect that more realistically she is suffering from a mental illness. Despite spending some time in a mental institution, she receives no diagnosis and no treatment, which I think is a comment on the historical attitude toward mental illness that existed at the time.

It was intriguing to see her navigate and survive her own adversity as an adult. Despite the set backs; the homelessness, the inadequacy of the legal system in dealing with a person like Lilian, she is happy with her life. She is content. She has what she believes is important. A home (albeit not one that you and I might consider a home), her one true love (although chaste) and an exciting city at her fingertips.

For me one of the most poignant moment was the moment when she celebrated her birthday on her own, wandering the streets of Sydney in the party dress that she had purchased for the occasion. It was perhaps one of the most sad moments for me. She seemed so happy, and yet there was this sense that underneath she was suffering.

Although I don't want to go into this sort of discussion to deeply, the themes of independence and sexuality were prominent in this story.

What struck me the most, however, was the idea of history in Lilian's Story. In a way, Lilian's life becomes a metaphor for the changes that Australia is experiencing. Lilian's personal history reflects Australia's history. Her rejection of social norms and customs could be thought to reflect the increasing separation Australia feels from England. Lilian's own very unique ideas of her own sexuality and her position as a woman in society could also be seen to reflect the growth of feminism in Australian society, particularly throughout the 60's. In this way I think that her year of being birth being the year of federation is integral to the story.

In the end, despite her unusual life, behaviour and idea's, Lilian is able to reflect positively on her life, and that is something that is inspiring.

Book Details: Paperback, 280 pages, published by Allen and Unwin, published in 1996