Hachette ANZ

Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan was a mind-blowing read for me. As usual Jordan’s writing is amazing. I read her debut novel Addition after commencing writing-related courses and it was the first time I became conscious of prose and I marvelled at her genius. I felt the same way years later when I read The Fragments. Tenderfoot (for me) however offered so much more – a very nostalgic and rather emotive trip down memory lane. Andie, our narrator lives in Morningside in Brisbane – where I lived before making my seachange 12 years ago. Her mother is a barmaid at the Colmslie Pub – not my regular cos it was fairly dive-y but almost around the corner from my old apartment. It is themed around gambling (very specifically greyhound racing). My non-betting quite-religious mother worked in a TAB for most of her adult life. Part-time initially, before managing her own branch. I vividly recall the pre-computer days with coloured race sheets placed on the walls with scratchings scribbled out as the horses or greyhounds dropped out. I remember the cigarette stench of those who spent most of the day in there. Of mum’s stress when they moved to ‘computers’ with little cards to be shoved into giant boxes.