Refreshing--funny, a bit sad, a little bit deep and inspiring-- you'll laugh on one page and cry on the next.
Jane Patterson finds her ex in bed with her best friend.
Before he dumps her, he cleans out their joint account.
There's only so much humiliation a girl can take, so when Jane inherits her late uncle's hostel she hotfoots it out
of town. To her dismay, the bequest turns out to be a
homeless mens' hostel.
Attempts to obtain a grant to upgrade to backpackers'
accommodation, draw her into the wheeler-dealer world
of Leonard Hardie, a politician out to make a name by
ridding the city of vagrants. When they meet sparks fly.
But will Jane's growing sympathy for the street people
drive a wedge between them?
Professional Reviews
Chick Lit with a Message by AB Shepherd
Jane Patterson is a typical Australian city girl, who has just broken up with her philandering boyfriend when she inherits a hotel from her recently deceased uncle on the other side of the country. She moves to collect her inheritance believing she is going to build a new, more prosperous life for herself as a business owner.
What she finds isn't quite what she expected. Her hotel is actually low rent accommodation for homeless men, and is full of the smelly, unwashed dregs of society. She is horrified, dismayed, and determined to spruce the place up and turn it into a backpackers hostel which will flourish with the tourist trade.
Along the way though, she learns that maybe not everything is as she assumed. Maybe, just maybe, the homeless don't choose to be homeless.
This book is set in Perth, Western Australia and is full of Australian flavor and Australian terminology and pop culture references. One of my favorites is "it's going straight to the pool room" which is a line showing pride and appreciation from a classic Australian movie, The Castle.
As an Australian resident, who is horribly ignorant regarding the Australian political system, I also found it educational.
Salvation Jane reads like chick lit, but has a message and a moral. A very welcome addition to the collective works of author Ann Massey.
Don't be fooled by appearances
Tuesday, July 23.2013 The West Australian
BOOKS
EDITOR WILLIAM YEOMAN
REVIEW ELAINE FRY
Jane Patterson arrives in Perth having inherited her late uncle's hotel. To her dismay it turns out to be a homeless men's hostel albeit in a prime central location. Aunty Ida and Horrie with their totally unexpected backgrounds come along with the bequest. When Jane acts against her uncle's principles of caring for the homeless in wishing to upgrade the hostelry to backpackers' accommodation, she finds the inheritance no longers hers. On her own 'road to Dasmascus' culminating in her becoming MP for Perth East and holding the casting vote to determine the next government Jane's attitude to homelessness and mental illness changes. She finally learns not to judge by appearances.
Fun & Engaging, A Romp with a Serious Side
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun & Engaging, A Romp with a Serious Side August 6, 2013
By E. Griffin VINE VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition
Salvation Jane refers to Jane Patterson, a naive and immature young woman who runs away from a love affair gone bad to a hotel she's inherited from an uncle in Perth, Australia. However, it isn't really a hotel, it is an overnight hostel for the homeless, a group of people Jane feels vaguely sorry for, but thinks they should just get a job. Jane is thrown into a situation she completely didn't anticipate, including the oddly intelligent manager and an elderly woman who was the love of her uncle's life. Located in the midst of an urban renewal area, the hotel is considered a blight on the neighborhood and is a target of the local politicians ire. Quite happy with the idea of turning the hotel into an upscale tourist destination, Jane finds out things are not exactly what she thought, and she needs to make her own way in Perth.
There is a positive side to Jane's naivety, and she rather recklessly campaigns for public office which she wins by a default vote count. Insulted in person, pilloried in the press, and betrayed by some of her closest confidants, Jane soldiers on, fighting for the rights of the homeless population. As she makes new friends, she also begins to understand the plight of the homeless population and to her shame, learns that this includes families and small children. A sudden tragedy finds Jane a different person, with new values and beliefs, while retaining just enough of her former artful cheeriness.
Salvation Jane is an unexpectedly engaging book that I read straight through while recovering from a cold. Jane's character is befuddled enough to be both charming and frustrating, her reactions to various political maneuverings is believable, and the stories of homelessness and poverty in one of the richest countries is portrayed in a realistic sensitive way. I recommend Salvation Jane for readers who enjoy books about growth and redemption with a splash of romance, and stories about young women finding their way in the world.
Disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinion expressed in this review is my own.
Posted by Ann Massey at 14:51 No comments:
4.0 out of 5 stars A political thriller with a touch of humour August 8, 2013
By Shoma Mittra
Format:Paperback
Jane Patterson is a plucky Australian girl who leaves her job in Sydney to move to Perth, and away from a broken heart. Expecting to inherit a hotel and remake herself into an heiress à la Paris Hilton, she receives a shock when she actually makes it to Patterson's - the "hotel" her uncle left her. The place is actually a homeless refuge of sorts.
Reeling from the drop in expectations Jane tries to appear undaunted and, fair credit to her, rolls up her sleeves and gets on with the job. Or so it seems. While the staff begin to respect her hard working attitude, Jane has other plans - to transform Patterson's clientele from the homeless poor to backpackers who will bring in the money.
But in trying to do so, Jane runs into ambitious and attractive politician Leonard Hardie. And Hardie means to drive the homeless out of the city and criminalise them. Although sparks fly between them, Jane starts to increasingly feel sympathy and a responsibility for the homeless men she has been trying to secretly evict. If you want a book that reads as smoothly and humorously as chick-lit but has a packed political message, this is for you. Ann Massey's writing is refreshingly honest and surprisingly funny, for all that it deals with a sombre political issue. A novel full of quirky facts about Perth and Australia, Salvation Jane tackles the issue of homelessness and the middle class response to it with an energy and acuteness that is invigorating.
On the surface, Salvation Jane could come across as "chick lit." Poke a little deeper and you find a serious commentary on current social conditions in Perth, Australia. Our heroine, Jane, inherits a hotel from her uncle. Excited at the prospect of instant wealth she arrives to find a derelict building serving as a shelter for homeless men. Hours spent laundering the sheets and towels does nothing to improve her mood so she decides to convert the shelter into a hostel for back-packing tourists. One thing leads to another and Jane finds herself involved in politics--naively playing with the big boys--using the street people as leverage.
For this Canadian reader, Salvation Jane was an education in the economic conditions of the area, in the plight of the poor, in the culture and language of Australia.
Well written and intriguing. You keep turning the pages to see what Jane will do next--sometimes biting your nails as she gets herself into one scrap after another. There are love interests too, not always the best for Jane, but she perseveres.
The ending is satisfying and fitting for the story.
Hearts of Gold
Synopsis
by
Frank P. Whyte
Portland, Oregon is known as the City of Roses. Of course that’s an odd name for a city whose mere mention conjures images of driving winds and torrential ra
'Better Without You'is a compelling narrative that explores the complexities of an affair, hidden secrets, and abuse. It also highlights a daughter's heartfelt journey as she cares for her mother who is battling dementia.
