Sisters look within

THE SPILL IMBI NEEME VIKING, RRP $33

I t may be possible to dream up the whole picture from just a few pieces of the puzzle, but how accurate will the picture be? It’s 1982 when sisters Samantha and Nicole survive a car accident with their mum, Tina, behind the wheel. The story begins in the hours after the accident, with the sisters sitting outside a pub in Western Australia’s wheatbelt. Tina, the life of every party, is inside, while their girls wait outside for their father to arrive from Perth to collect them. The day casts a pall over Nicole and Samantha’s lives — it signalled the end of their parents’ marriage and raised many questions about Tina’s care for her daughters. The sisters have cause to reflect on the accident and their mother’s life of wine and jigsaw puzzles when she dies after years of alcohol abuse. What Samantha knows for sure is that their mum was a terrible drunk — more concerned with spending time with a bottle than her own children. Samantha has done everything she can to distance herself from her mother and ensure she turns out nothing like her. But there are many things the sisters don’t know about their mum and each other. And Samantha is more like Tina than she wants to know. This is an easy and engaging read as well as a reminder that things aren’t always what they seem. Author Imbi Neeme (above) has also included some neat ’80s references — how could we forget Funny Feet ice creams?

VERDICT: WORTH THE DRIVE