Whisky Charlie Foxtrot - Annabel Smith
Whisky Charlie Foxtrot is a love story, beautifully written and elegantly crafted. It made me cry. Charlie is a wonderful, vulnerable, flawed character. He is a hero on a journey, travelling both forward and backward as his brother lies in a coma.

Comas seem such a cliched soap opera device, but Annabel Smith uses the dramatic halt of Whisky's coma as an effective balance to Charlie's emotional journey. The turmoil has a still point.

The characters are well developed, each with their own motivation, each memorable. Their relationships aren't always easy, but there's an underlying respect for one another that contributes to the book's emotional power.

I loved this story. The theme of starting over is subtle, the tone one of understated hope. Or you could read the book just for its style: the tone is conversational, the writing assured.

I'm grateful to Annabel Smith for an early copy of Whisky Charlie Foxtrot. I think it will become an Australian classic.