Book review: Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down

I was recommended Bodies of Light by a colleague with no warning of the harrowing read that it is. Certainly, the title didn’t give me any clue as to the story within.

Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down tells of Maggie, a girl who endures abuse at the hands of foster carers and police, and attempts to build a life despite her awful beginnings.

Like other novels that centre on a child growing up in poverty and neglect, like Shuggie Bain, Demon Copperhead and My Absolute Darling, there is a hopefulness that sits side-by-side with a pervasive sense of dread throughout the novel.

Even at times when Maggie was happy, it seemed to be a matter of time before something terrible would happen. This was particularly the case when she met a kind and loving man and fell pregnant.

The readers were warned earlier in the book before the worst happened, but still it felt like an utter disappointment that happiness could not endure long for Maggie.

I always enjoy a book where the setting is familiar, and Melbourne was the location of much of Maggie’s story, albeit a side of the city that I haven’t always known. The familiarity of the university experience was equally refreshing and heartbreaking, coming as it did between times of hardship and heartbreak.

I also loved reading about a foster carer who was particularly kind to Maggie, and seemed to provide her with the love, support and stability that she needed. However, again, this happiness and contentment was not to last.

Somehow, harrowing stories of children enduring and sometimes overcoming awful upbringings, like in Bodies of Light, are completely compelling. I think it’s the hope that life will improve that I find irresistible. It feels like good can happen, even after the worst.

I’m glad that my colleague recommended this beautiful, difficult read.