Barry Jonsberg, Smoke & mirrors, Allen and Unwin, January 2024, 272 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761180750
This is not something Barry Jonsberg cares about or even should care about, but this book coming out in the year that the Children’s Book Week® theme is ‘Reading is Magic’ is genius. Jonsberg’s main character, Grace is a true magician. She has been practicing since she was seven, and is now able to create an aura of genuine magic for anyone who gets to see her perform. Oh except for Year 9 boys who are more interested in distracting her and being disruptive. But Simon watches and feels the wonder Grace creates and offers her a partnership – Simon will look after the business end, leaving Grace with the time to perfect her craft and perform in front of audiences.
But of course, that is the basic plotline, and anyone who has read a Jonsberg (A little spark, A song only I can hear, and Catch me if I fall, just to name a few recent releases), knows there’s always more beneath the surface. Grace’s home life leaves a lot to be desired. Her relationship with her mother is non-existent, and her friendship with her Uncle Mike recently soured. Fortunately Grace is lucky she has Gran, a person with whom she connects; they share a common sense of humour and try to be honest with each other. Everyone else is clearly unreliable and only out for themselves.
It’s best to go into any Jonsberg novel as free from spoilers as possible. He gently and cleverly reveals secrets that show depth to his characters, challenging readers to reconsider their own life choices. His understanding of human foibles and need for acknowledgement and support is evident on every page. There’s a strong affection for quirky and resilient people. Jonsberg’s ability to write about magic while actually showing us about life, passion and community reflects his long-held interest in the power of words and his skill in using them to manipulate readers without us realizing it. Grace knows about the ‘rules’ of magic – the need to misdirect and to offer audiences the opportunity to believe and wonder. While Grace shares that knowledge with us, Jonsberg uses those same rules to keep us off balance and to ask us to believe in miracles.
It’s suitable for readers aged 11 to 14, and that’s right, but be aware there is much discussion about voluntary assisted dying, and a reasonably traumatic flashback to the death of characters. Smoke & mirrors is an immersive story of family and grief. It’s also a story of hope and wonder.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Trish Buckley
