November 5, 2018
Taylor Johnson’s novel (after Pursuing Love and Death) is a beautiful and moving look at the impact one person can have on others. At the outset, Jean Harley is hit and killed by a truck on her bicycle. Jean was a young, talented, and kind wife to Stan, mother to Orion, friend to Neddy and Viv, and daughter to Pearl and Marion. Set in southern Australia, Jean’s story is told through the memories of those who knew her best. These perspectives, including Philip’s—a former professor of hers she met in college and with whom she had a brief affair before reuniting with Stan—and her devoted and lovable dog Digger’s, offer a glimpse into a full life. Jean danced in a production staged by Neddy and Viv, and cared for others through homemade soups and weekly wine dates. Beyond the ties of family and friendship, Jean’s life and untimely death brings about deep changes reflected in the hearts and minds of those closet to her—Marion, her mother-in-law, starts a scholarship in Jean’s name; Viv gravitates towards Orion as a connection to Jean, giving him a mother figure to turn to. Taylor Johnson captures the difficulty of death in an accessible way, and treats the subject matter with extraordinary care. This ambitious attempt to fully depict a life so rich with feeling and joy is both sharp and elegantly crafted.
September 1, 2018
Vibrant, energetic Jean Harley charmed classmates, teachers, friends, and lovers with her easy smile and boundless enthusiasm. It was easy to love Jean because she gave so much love to the world?which is why it's so hard for her friends and family to confront the world without her. After Jean is hit by a truck while riding her bike, her loved ones (and the driver who hit her) begin to grieve in vastly different ways. They relive their memories of Jean, from infancy to her last moments alive, with raw pain, tenderness, and love. Johnson (Pursuing Love and Death, 2013) weaves characters' memories together by playing with timelines and viewpoints, thus granting a fuller picture of Jean's life. Sure to be popular among fans of Liane Moriarty and Sarah Pekkanen, this tender, witty novel dives into the life of an amazing woman by exploring the grief of those she's left behind. Johnson's ability to bring the diverse voices and viewpoints of the supporting characters to life is admirable, especially in a novel of this size.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
October 11, 2016
Heather Taylor Johnson’s second novel Jean Harley Was Here is an exploration of grief, with each chapter presenting a different glimpse into the aftermath of the character Jean Harley’s death, as experienced by her husband Stan, her child Orion, her best friends Viv and Neddy, and her murderer Charley Cromwell. The space that Johnson dedicates to Charley’s backstory catapults the story into one of forgiveness and redemption, although the numerous perspectives occasionally detract from what could have been a much deeper meditation on processing and coping with grief. The book also expands beyond a study of grief into social commentary: Neddy feeling her breasts ‘wet and fetid with perspiration’ expertly touches on the sometimes oppressive nature of motherhood, while Viv’s conflicted repudiation of motherhood examines society’s unyielding expectations of women. At times the story veers into a mawkish ode to life and love, doing all the thinking for readers rather than giving them the time to form their own conclusions. With its exploration of parenthood, separation and discovering love at an older age, this book is likely to appeal to older readers. The story is firmly grounded in Adelaide, with references to familiar landmarks.
Sonia Nair is a writer and critic