Character studies of four people who visit Sydney's Circular Quay one bright sunny day are carefully created, echoes from their past are carefully constructed into their present preoccupations, while hints about their future are carefully implied in their musings in the latest novel by Gail Jones. Five bells is a novel about individuals but it explores connections: personal, social, historic and literary. It is accurate, evocative writing and includes four different brilliant descriptions of the Sydney Opera House. I enjoyed reading this book, becoming fully involved in the lives of the characters. The entry of the fifth person and the impact of the ending have kept me thinking about the story ever since I put it down with a sigh.
Gail Jones, who has written four previous novels, will feature in the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival in May. I am looking forward to finding out more about her and reading the other novels.
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