Book Review: Eye of a Rook by Josephine Taylor
Eye of A Rook Josephine Taylor Fremantle Press, 2021 (This review was originally published by the AU review on February 11, 2021) Josephine Taylor ‘s debut novel is something a little bit different for Fremantle Press. Mixing historical fiction with contemporary, Eye of a Rook takes a look at women’s health throughout recent centuries, shining a light particularly on attitudes to chronic illnesses and women’s pain. Based on the author’s own experiences with vulvodynia, Taylor hopes that this book will spark a conversation about invisible illnesses, and about believing that those who suffer are not simply malingerers and attention seekers. Eye of a Rook begins with its contemporary storyline. Alice and her partner Duncan are driving to see a new physiotherapist recommended by another member of Alice’s support group for vulvodynia sufferers. Vulvodynia – chronic, debilitating and unexplained nerve pain in the vulva which cannot be linked to a specific cause – has ...