Having read other titles by Caroline Overington, I knew that it would take some time to get to the storyline described on the blurb of this book. That is not a criticism, just an acknowledgement that she writes in a distinctive style that is quite unique in Australian fiction. Whatever her reasons for choosing to portray her stories through the eyes of a third party (involved in the story but not the main protagonist), it is a literary device that works fantastically for her.
In I Came To Say Goodbye, Overington has used the voice of a 60 year old male Meredith (Med). As the father of Donna-Faye (who goes by the unfortunate nickname Fat), he meticulously plots the back story that leads to the abduction of a female child from a hospital in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta.
Overington displays great skill in the creation of the character of Med. His thoughts, words and actions ARE a 60 year old working class Australian man - there is no doubt of that. As a reader you witness the unfolding of the story through his eyes, knowing it is beyond accurate. The creation of the other characters in the story are similarly spot on (although only described through Med) - from his long absent wife Pat, to the no-hoper son-in-law Paul and ambitious elder daughter Kat.
While it is told with great skill, I Came To Say Goodbye is a depressing story. It is a sad litany of the realities and failings of the family court and the other associated Government departments that exist to supposedly protect the interests of vulnerable children. I don't know enough about the system to comment on the accuracy of the facts portrayed - however it certainly comes across as very believable.
Sad, yet compelling and very readable, I Came To Say Goodbye will has left a lasting impression on me and opened my eyes to just what is happening everyday in the family court system.
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