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Tracy Farr

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The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt Kindle Edition

by Tracy Farr (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 41 ratings

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'...a beautifully written tale perfect for those interested in the intersection of music, literature, and film.’ Foreword Reviews
Longlisted for the 2014 Miles Franklin Literary Award

Documentary filmmaker Mo Patterson approaches veteran musician Lena Gaunt after watching her play at a festival in Perth: her first performance in 20 years. While initially suspicious of Mo’s intentions and reluctant to have her privacy invaded, Lena finds herself sharing stories from her past.
From a solitary childhood in Malacca and a Perth boarding school, to a glittering career in Jazz-age Sydney, to quiet domesticity in a New-Zealand backwater, Lena’s is a life characterized by the pull of the sea, the ebb and flow of passion and loss, and her enduring relationship with that extraordinary instrument, the theremin.

Reviews

‘Tracy dares to go where many a writer might retreat, Lena’s story full of raw power. This is writing that is not afraid.’ Dame Fiona Kidman, author of The Infinite Air
‘The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt is a reflective, quiet, but beautifully written tale perfect for those interested in the intersection of music, literature, and film.’ Foreword Reviews
‘A complex and lyrical novel’ Portland Book Review
‘What’s immediately intriguing about Lena Gaunt isn’t Lena Gaunt but the fact that she plays a theremin…And Lena Gaunt isn’t just any theremin player. She’s a legend, if she does say so herself…’ New York Times Book Review
‘The skill in creating a protagonist so thoroughly believable makes The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt an incredibly pleasurable, satisfying read.’ The Buzz About
‘A compelling and beguiling read.’ Breakaway Reviews
‘…a book that grows on you until it becomes unputdownable.’ Word by Word
‘Tracy Farr’s beautifully written and well-crafted novel combines music and art as she moves the reader around the globe through the dazzling 30s and 40s, paying tribute to the life of an artist in all its forms.’ West Australian
‘An absolute pleasure to read.’ Lonesome Reader
‘… the novel is solid, and substantial. I predict it will find a legion of fans.’ Randall Writes
‘A quiet gem of a novel…Farr is a vivid, evocative writer, with a gift for creating imagery from words. She brings Lena Gaunt to life.’ S.Roe, NetGalley reviewer

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Tracy dares to go where many a writer might retreat, Lena's story full of raw power. This is writing that is not afraid' Dame Fiona Kidman, author of The Infinite Air

This is a sparkling debut novel that captures the spirit of an accomplished woman as she reflects on the arc of her long life' Adelaide Advertiser

'The skill in creating a protagonist so thoroughly believable makes The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt an incredibly pleasurable, satisfying read' The Buzz About

'Tracy Farr's beautifully written and well-crafted novel combines music and art as she moves the reader around the globe through the dazzling 30s and 40s, paying tribute to the life of an artist in all its forms' West Australian

'A quiet gem of a novel...Farr is a vivid, evocative writer, with a gift for creating imagery from words. She brings Lena Gaunt to life' S.Roe, NetGalley reviewer

'Compelling reading' The Listener

About the Author

Tracy Farr is an Australian-born, New Zealand-based writer and former research scientist.

Her debut novel The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt was shortlisted for the 2014 WA Premier's Book Awards and the 2014 Barbara Jefferis Award, and longlisted for the 2014 Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Tracy's short fiction has been published in anthologies, literary journals and popular magazines, and broadcast on Radio New Zealand. She won the 2014 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award for her story Once had me, and other stories have been commended and shortlisted for awards in New Zealand and Australia.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B017WFX9LW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aardvark Bureau (September 1, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 556 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1910709050

Best Sellers Rank: #3,213,893 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,218 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #5,976 in Classic Historical Fiction
- #10,368 in Classic Literary Fiction

Customer Reviews:
3.9 41 ratings

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Tracy Farr

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Tracy Farr is a novelist and short story writer who used to be a scientist. Originally from Australia, she’s lived in New Zealand for more than twenty years; she calls both countries home.

Tracy's debut novel THE LIFE AND LOVES OF LENA GAUNT (Fremantle Press 2013; Aardvark Bureau 2016) is about love, loss, electronic music and the sea. Her second novel, THE HOPE FAULT (Fremantle Press 2017, Aardvark Bureau 2018), is about family, fault lines and anxiety.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

41 global ratings

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Stephanie

Wonderful story

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2014

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Tracy Farr’s debut novel, The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt, is the story of Dame Lena Gaunt: musician, octogenarian, junkie. It is a gorgeous story and beautifully told. Totally entranced by the story telling, I could not put it down.

It starts with her removal from her Singapore home at 5 years old to a boarding school on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia in the company of her Uncle Valentine, who is also one of the major characters through the book. Her childhood is not a pleasant one and the only thing that saves her is her love of music, which starts with the piano, and then to the cello.

Due to a death in the family, she is taken back to Asia, but hates her life here, and after an “incident”, she is shipped back to Australia with the idea of moving back to Perth with her Uncle. Instead she gets off the boat in Sydney and here she is introduced to the theremin by her cello teacher and she completely becomes engrossed by this machine and dreams of becoming world-famous as ‘Music’s Most Modern Musician.” It is here in Sydney that she also meets the love of her life, Beatrix Carmichael, an artist.

This book is beautifully written, so enchanting and pulls you into the Lena’s life, that I could not put the book down and read it in over a week. I even burnt the chips the night I was nearing the end as I wanted to keep on reading it. Tracy does a gorgeous job as she takes you through Lena’s life and loves, through her losses and pain. Through music and through the arts, you go from Australia to New Zealand, from the UK to the US.. You start off in early 19th century and go through the flamboyant 20′s and 30′s.

Highly recommend this book.

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Kate W

Wonderfully drawn central character!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014

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I absolutely loved this novel. I wanted to hear the theremin, see the documentary and view the wonderful paintings!! Such a sad novel in parts - but what a wonderfully drawn main character!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2014

It was a book that slowly and gently lifted me along. I felt it lacked in plot but somewhat made up for this in its description of the places and ageing process that the main character went through

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014

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Really enjoyed this book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2014

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A very moving novel and well written. I strongly recommend it.

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J. Davidson

Engaging and fascinating story

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I found myself drawn into Alena's life, to the point of wanting to view Trix's art, listen to Lena play the theremin, and watch Maureen's documentary.

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AM

still grieving in old age over the losses of loved ones. It's a sad story in so many ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2016

This is one of those introspective books, a first person narrative of a woman in her eighties , a passionate pioneer musician, still grieving in old age over the losses of loved ones . It's a sad story in so many ways but yet it celebrates the life of Lena Gaunt. Who is this Lena Gaunt? This is a novel, but what is told here and how it is told, makes you believe you are reading a true memoir .

I couldn't help but think that Lena Gaunt was a real person or at the very least she was based on a real person. In an interview on the publisher's website , the author tells us that she saw a documentary of Clara Rockmore , a renown theremin player and that Rockmore was a "starting point rather than a model " for Lena . Still I felt like she was real , a testament to the writing for sure . Even Beatrix Carmichael , the love of Lena's life is not based on any one particular artist.

The theremin is an instrument I had never hear of and I found it so intriguing that one could play an instrument without touching it . Lena too became intrigued. As a little girl everything is music to Lena and the beautiful descriptive writing has a tone of its own . Lena is a prodigy, obsessed with music from childhood. She is separated from her parents for 12 years when she is sent "home" to Australia from Singapore at 4 years old and to a boarding school . She would have led a lonely childhood but for her Uncle Valentine who fosters her love of music and is the only family she really knows .

From Singapore to Australia to Malacca to New Zealand to Paris and St. Ives and back to Australia , from 4 years old to her eighties , Lena takes us through her joys in life - her music , her Beatrix and her daughter, Grace . She takes us through the grief of loss and the passion of her music . It's a rather slow moving story and you won't find much action if that is what you are looking for , but you will find a beautifully written story of Lena Gaunt's life and loves .

Thanks to Gallic Books and NetGalley.

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Top reviews from other countries

Sunnyside

An unusual book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2014

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I found this a very interesting book. It covers the lifetime of Lena Gaunt from childhood in Malacca to her return to Western Australia. The life of someone who is pitch perfect is fascinating as is the, almost unknown, instrument she plays - the Theremin. The story covers several countries and focuses on many relationships. This book is well written and different from the many biographies that are around.

catmother

I liked it. But I can see that it started ...

Reviewed in Australia on January 15, 2015

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Unusual. I liked it. But I can see that it started out as several short stories. Feel like the author wanted to bring in all the diverse places she knew well, so that the setting jumps from place to place which was not really necessary. The cover illustration is not in keeping with the story.

HelenP

Disappointed!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2016

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For some reason I didn't really like this book much. I couldn't seem to find any empathy with the main character I felt I didn't really like her much. I feel I should have liked it I can't put my finger on what I felt was wrong with it. Maybe it was because you never really get to know the main character as a person. Sorry not much of a review but I just can't think of any positives to say.

Shirley Betts

have read better.

Reviewed in Australia on December 24, 2014

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Alright, have read better.

susan w.

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2016

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Couldn't put this book down! Enjoyed it cover to cover