Just So Stories

Melbourne University Publishing

Distributed by Simon & Schuster

April 2026

ISBN: 9780522881882

RRP: $32.99

I have to thank Isobelle Carmody for drawing my attention to this outstanding book, and also, of course, to MUP for graciously allowing me to review it. It came to my attention that Isobelle and Fernanda will be in conversation at Redcliffe library and, naturally, I booked my ticket immediately. Now that I’ve read the book – fully engrossed over a couple of nights! – I am looking forward to the event even more (although it’s not till August).

The aphorism ‘the truth is often stranger than fiction’ has never been more applicable than to this memoir of Fernanda’s astonishing childhood and the sequence of events that shaped her young life. When her mother was jailed, when Fernanda was just 8 years old, her almost idyllic life in country Victoria was irrevocably shattered.

The subsequent unravelling of their close relationship was, over time and many further arrests, charges, incarcerations, eroded until eventually it was completely destroyed.

From a relationship that was as close as it could possibly be to something that was a full alienation, Fernanda’s regular episodes of fending for herself alone in a home with no adult supervision or support, may seem like a fairytale to some children but in reality exposes a side to their mother/daughter relationship that was fraught with one-sided selfishness and a complete abregation of parental responsibility.

Separated even from her extended family by her mother’s machinations, it is a wonder in itself that Fernanda not only survived but thrived despite all odds, eventually taking up law herself.

Her determination to expose the perceived injustices and ‘framing’ of her mother actually uncovered a far darker side to her own life story than she had ever imagined.

This is a memoir that will take you deep into an exposé that is both inconceivable and shocking, and IMO it’s a testament to Fernanda’s resilience and nature that she not only survived it but has carved out such a successful life for herself.

I am so looking forward to the event with Isobelle and Fernanda and will be sure to follow up on that when it happens. This gets a huge 5 ⚖️ 🏛️ 👨🏻‍⚖️ 📜 🚔rating from me for adult readers (or seniors – might be an interesting side-read for Legal Studies students).