BOOK REVIEW: Reckoning by Magda Szubanksi (Review by John Purcell)

Pretend you have never heard the name Magda Szubanski. I know it’s difficult. You’re probably already picturing her as Sharon Strzelecki in Kath and Kim, or as Esme Hoggett in Babe, or as Pixie-Anne Wheatley or Chenille from Fast Forward.

But do try. Reckoning isn’t a celebrity memoir. Magda’s story is rich, beautifully told and moving. The daughter of Polish and Scottish migrants, it’s a thoroughly Australian story. Like Raimond Gaita’s Romulus, My Father, Madga’s memoir centres on her relationship with her father. The thing is, the man who was Magda’s father, the man who mowed the lawn, joined the local tennis club, wore shorts and long socks, wasn’t y
our regular suburbanite.

He was an assassin.

You know, the usual story.

A migrant’s daughter’s memoir, Reckoning is at once light and dark, the way we ourselves are light and dark. It is the work of a writer whose own family’s story led her further and further into a past that was complex and strange, dangerous and surprising, and of her own story which led her out into the spotlight.

For a limited time only, pre-order Reckoning and you will receive a signed copy. Please note: offer available while stocks last.

For a limited time only, pre-order Reckoning and you will receive a signed copy. Please note: offer available while stocks last.

Reckoning
by Magda Szubanksi

Heartbreaking, joyous, traumatic, intimate and revelatory, Reckoning is the book where Magda Szubanski, one of Australia’s most beloved performers, tells her story.

In this extraordinary memoir, Magda describes her journey of self-discovery from a suburban childhood, haunted by the demons of her father’s espionage activities in wartime Poland and by her secret awareness of her sexuality, to the complex dramas of adulthood and her need to find out the truth about herself and her family. With courage and compassion she addresses her own frailties and fears, and asks the big questions about life, about the shadows we inherit and the gifts we pass on.

Honest, poignant, utterly captivating, Reckoning announces the arrival of a fearless writer and natural storyteller. It will touch the lives of its readers.

About the Author

Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s best known and most loved performers. She began her career in university revues, then appeared in a number of sketch comedy shows before creating the iconic character of Sharon Strzelecki in ABC-TV’s Kath and Kim. She has also acted in films (Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, The Golden Compass) and stage shows. Reckoning is her first book.

For a limited time only, pre-order Reckoning and you will receive a signed copy. Please note: offer available while stocks last.

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About the Contributor

Anastasia Hadjidemetri

Anastasia Hadjidemetri is the former editor of The Booktopian and star of Booktopia's weekly YouTube show, Booked with Anastasia. A big reader and lover of books, Anastasia relishes the opportunity to bring you all the latest news from the world of books.