“When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions” are the wise and truthful words written by English playwright, actor and poet, William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616), in his ethereally haunting and timeless play, Hamlet.

The lives of the families living in the (fictional) coastal utopian enclave of “Pirriwee Peninsula north of Sydney” in the present day are deeply embedded fathoms and many light years away from Shakespearean times. Yet, who could argue with his cautionary words spoken by King Claudius in Hamlet, even now? Soul scarring troubles and problems of all levels of knottiness and difficulty are universal and  ageless. It is a certainty of this transient and fragile earthly existence for us all on this planet (both now and throughout the centuries) that “sorrows come”.

The hip and happening suburb of Pirriwee Peninsula and it’s residents are back again (with a thunderous bang) in superb Australian author, Liane Moriarty’s, latest monumentally accomplished novel, Big Little Truths. This is a book that one would call a thriller and mystery novel, whilst also expertly dissecting domestic drama and the human psyche and condition.

Big Little Truths is the delightful sequel to Liane’s novel of 12 years ago, Big Little Lies. This novel was a worldwide bestseller (as all Liane’s novels are) and was of course made into a hugely successful television series staring the phenomenally talented Reese Witherspoon, Nicloe Kidman and Laura Dern. 

The peninsula is a place where “Surf conditions were ‘clean and peaky’. The main swell was from the east…… A handful of grey-haired surfers sat astride bobbing boards, shielding their eyes to watch a pod of dolphins leap and dive like a line of music across the horizon. Just past the point, unseen by the surfers, a whale ferried her rambunctious firstborn calf through the coastal waters of the ‘Humpback Highway’.”.

The gang of female friends (who love doing Pilates and Beach Boot Camp together), and their families, are reassuringly here again. There is Celeste, a lawyer, whose husband Perry was physically violent with her during her marriage to him, and her teenage twin sons, Max and Josh. Perry is no longer in the picture. Celeste is an extremely capable lawyer and mother but fragile and self-doubting as a result of the domestic abuse she endured for years.

Madeline (she turns 50 at the beginning of the book) is as feisty as ever. Married to Ed and mother of twenty-five year old Abigail (from her previous marriage to  Nathan), Fred (in his early twenties) and Chloe (Ed is their father), Madeleine wants to just fix everything, and naturally she can’t always do that. “Madeleine worked three days a week in the events department of the Pirriwee Pacific Hotel”. Here Madeleine reports to a boss who is younger than Abigail, and Madeleine has nicknamed “her Gen Z ‘boss’” ” ‘The Child’ “.

Abagail has a new boyfriend, and Madeleine calls him to herself and her friends “Perfect boyfriend” because in Madeleine’s mind said boyfriend is too good to be true and she is sure that there must be some sort of abuser or sociopath underneath the charming exterior manner and good looks.

Fred is studying in America, so it is just dear, sweet Chloe at home.

Jane, thirty-four years old,  (she also has her demons from the past) returns, but is now married to the gorgeous and easygoing owner of Blue Blues Cafe in Pirriwee Peninsula, Tom. A lot of the women in the area are jealous of Jane. She got to marry a wonderful and handsome man and as a bonus she gets endless and free barista coffee and treats.

Ziggy is Jane’s earnest and thoughtful son from a previous sexual assault. Ziggy is “nearly sixteen” but still needs his Mum, as all the teenagers do. They are just not willing to admit it.

Another friend of the ladies is the outspoken and determined Renata, in a peripheral role. Renata is the mother of Amabella who is whip-smart and loyal.

Bonnie (a bit of a hippie and into clean living) is the perpetually serene (or is she?) mother of Skye, who is starting to push the boundaries with her mother.

Chloe, Max, Josh, Ziggy, Skye and Amabella are in year 10 at Pirriwee High School. A state government school that the parents have chosen for their six children (who have known each other for years) despite some of the families being quite wealthy.

The high school is ruled over with a stern but friendly demeanor by the school principal, Dr Ferdinand Seawright.

On the morning of a day known by the year 10 students as D-Day (they have been looking at Winston Churchill and the Second World War in history class, taught by their new and encouraging history teacher, Ms Melody Montclair) a severed human finger is delivered to the school. Detective Chief Inspector Adrian Quinlan is called to the school to investigate. 

Adrian asks Dr Seawright, Lottie (the school secretary) and Anna (a science teacher) if there are “Any parents who are upset with the school?”, to which Anna replies “Parents are always upset with the school”.

Talk turns to a man who has been hanging around the school. Who is he? “Oh, I have a thought!”, said Lottie. “I wonder if it’s related to that predator. We did let the police know about him. It was back at the start of the school year”.

“Would we call him a predator?” asked Dr Seawright. “I always assumed he was a local resident with poor social skills”.

“Maybe it’s his finger!” said Lottie, and she looked positively thrilled by the prospect”.

Who sent the severed finger to the school and why? Does somebody (a parent or former parent of the school, or a pupil or former pupil) have an axe to grind? Is it a warning, a threat, a bit of underworld menace? (There is an underworld figure residing in the area).

What does the man lurking around the school want? Does he have a dark or an innocent agenda?

Who in this environmentally slice of heaven settlement is in for a major health episode? Who is starting to date?

What seismic event happens at the Year 10 History Showcase? (spoiler alert, it is majorly life altering).

Is Celeste’s former mother-in-law (Perry’s mother, Mary-Louise) getting dementia? Why are all her credit cards being declined when she goes to pay for her taxi fare after arriving unannounced at Celeste’s house? Why is her blouse buttoned in a mismatched way?

Who was responsible (or not) for Perry’s death? Can Mary-Louise ever find it in her heart to forgive them?

Who is put involuntarily into a mental health unit? Who goes to rehab?

I utterly devoured this illuminating, wise and insightful novel. Even in the beautiful and sublimely picturesque beach and sea environs of Pirriwee Peninsula it’s enviable (or are they?) residents are not immune to life’s curveballs and destabilising waves of shock and distress that can explode and reverberate in a community and life.

Liane has written with such realism and emotional and intellectual intelligence that I felt like I really knew these characters as I was reading. And the twists and red herrings keep on coming. 

I can’t recommend Big Little Truths enough. It is a simply great read by a fantastic author. My personal opinion is you will get more out of Big Little Truths if you read Big Little Lies first, as there are a lot of references to events from the Big Little Lies. Having said that, you can read Big Little Truths as a standalone novel.

Bravo Liane! You have knocked it out of the ballpark again. Apparently the television series from this book will be filmed next year. Meryl Streep will play Mary-Louise (as she did in season two of Big Little Lies). That fact will definitely make me want to watch the series.

I loved this book and I loved that it was set in Australia (where I am from and live) so that I could quite literally picture in my mind what Pirriwee Peninsula would look like. Paradise with a twist.