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Floating Upstream
Julia Marconi has a simple dream—to get out of Goldburne, the stinking hot town in rural Australia, where she’s followed the rules her whole life. She dreams of adventures far away from her violent father whose only goal is to maintain his old world values in changing times. Julia longs for true love rather than the match “made” for her years ago.
Super spunk Robbie Ventura and the arrival of the Carnival add unseen complications to her life, just as she’s ready to settle in and stay out of trouble. It’s all so tantalising. Just a taste here and there won’t hurt. After all, she’s an excellent liar. So with her brother’s motto, “Don’t get caught,” stuck in her head, Julia tries to survive her senior year of high school. All she has to do is spend the last year of the 70s with her head afloat, despite the currents dragging her away from her goals.
But the town of Goldburne and her father have eyes and ears everywhere, and her parents’ plans for Julia don’t involve starting the new decade and new life in the city. A secret that spans three generations and a war could mean Julia ends up like Maria Gervase —knocked up and married by 18.
Super spunk Robbie Ventura and the arrival of the Carnival add unseen complications to her life, just as she’s ready to settle in and stay out of trouble. It’s all so tantalising. Just a taste here and there won’t hurt. After all, she’s an excellent liar. So with her brother’s motto, “Don’t get caught,” stuck in her head, Julia tries to survive her senior year of high school. All she has to do is spend the last year of the 70s with her head afloat, despite the currents dragging her away from her goals.
But the town of Goldburne and her father have eyes and ears everywhere, and her parents’ plans for Julia don’t involve starting the new decade and new life in the city. A secret that spans three generations and a war could mean Julia ends up like Maria Gervase —knocked up and married by 18.
332 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2015
About the author
Jo Vraca
4 books6 followersJo Vraca is a fiction writer based in Melbourne, Australia. Born in a small Sicily village to a seamstress and a farmer, she grew up in Australia after her family immigrated in 1971.
Jo wrote her first book when she was 12, before computers. She burned it without reading a word of the manuscript. After a decade as a music and entertainment journalist, Jo returned to her fiction roots and had a short story published in the anthology "Behind the Front Fence" through The Five Mile Press. In 2014 she published her first collection of short stories, Girls, and in 2015, her first novel, Floating Upstream, a coming-of-age tale set in 1970s rural Australia.
Jo likes to think of herself as a born liar, with writing the most likely outlet for her story-telling.
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Jo wrote her first book when she was 12, before computers. She burned it without reading a word of the manuscript. After a decade as a music and entertainment journalist, Jo returned to her fiction roots and had a short story published in the anthology "Behind the Front Fence" through The Five Mile Press. In 2014 she published her first collection of short stories, Girls, and in 2015, her first novel, Floating Upstream, a coming-of-age tale set in 1970s rural Australia.
Jo likes to think of herself as a born liar, with writing the most likely outlet for her story-telling.
Sign up for news: http://bit.ly/1IYC5a9
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 6, 2016
I enjoyed this book so much, it was a very good read, well written with good descriptions. Particularly interesting was the narration which sometimes mixed a third person to first person story telling through Julia's thoughts. It is a beautiful and realistic story, with deep character development. Endearing characters whom I was eager to learn more about and to follow in their journey. Thank you Jo for your words.
The break down in chapters was well done - and perfectly timed for my bus rides to and back from work, about one chapter a trip!
The break down in chapters was well done - and perfectly timed for my bus rides to and back from work, about one chapter a trip!
December 4, 2015
I’m finding it really difficult to put into words all of the things this story made me feel. And there were so many mixed feelings that Floating Upstream managed to evoke from the whole emotional spectrum. I thought the writing was quite serene and tied in really well with the title and theme of the river and the water being the place where Julia took refuge. The plot is quite slow but I feel like this was almost a reflection of the small country town lifestyle. Vraca paints an incredibly vivid picture of the monotony but also the tranquillity of Goldburne and as the story progresses the town itself almost becomes a character of its own.
The characters in Floating Upstream were well fleshed out and very imperfect which I found frustrating but also understood to be true to life. The story dealt with a number of social issues like violence and sexual freedom and as it was set in the 1970s, I had to keep reminding myself that the reaction I had to the behaviour of some of the characters was unreasonable for the social context of the book. I enjoyed Julia as the POV character and really felt for her trying to break free from her parent’s traditional values. In another time Julia could really have been a wild child but the expectations of her family and also the people of the town really weighed heavily on her. I liked that Julia made a lot of mistakes and she paid the dearly for some of them which doesn’t often happen in other contemporary novels. My only issue with Julia was that the only times I really felt as though she had agency was when she was going to meet Robbie for a late night encounter. Most of the rest of the time she would often think and say things but when it came down to it she didn’t really push the boundaries. This was most evident when she tried to ignore the arranged marriage her parents had set up for her and during those times when her father was violent and it almost seemed like she was having an out of body experience throughout when I would have liked for her to stick up for herself. Again though, this is probably my own perception being clouded by today’s standards.
Most of the other characters are well fleshed out and I enjoyed reading about them, although I wasn’t a huge fan of Robbie as the love interest and couldn’t really understand his appeal. Even if he was attractive, I just couldn’t get on board with the fact that they had literally no contact for months on end and he didn’t even have the decency to write to Julia even though she practically begged him to. Even if I discount the many double standards in their relationship, they just didn’t seem to have much in common and it felt to me like Julia was just someone Robbie was using to pass the time.
Overall, Floating Upstream was a really engaging read for me. I was invested in Julia’s struggle and loved the great description of the town and the slow paced lifestyle. If you’re looking for a great Australian read, why not give this a try?
The characters in Floating Upstream were well fleshed out and very imperfect which I found frustrating but also understood to be true to life. The story dealt with a number of social issues like violence and sexual freedom and as it was set in the 1970s, I had to keep reminding myself that the reaction I had to the behaviour of some of the characters was unreasonable for the social context of the book. I enjoyed Julia as the POV character and really felt for her trying to break free from her parent’s traditional values. In another time Julia could really have been a wild child but the expectations of her family and also the people of the town really weighed heavily on her. I liked that Julia made a lot of mistakes and she paid the dearly for some of them which doesn’t often happen in other contemporary novels. My only issue with Julia was that the only times I really felt as though she had agency was when she was going to meet Robbie for a late night encounter. Most of the rest of the time she would often think and say things but when it came down to it she didn’t really push the boundaries. This was most evident when she tried to ignore the arranged marriage her parents had set up for her and during those times when her father was violent and it almost seemed like she was having an out of body experience throughout when I would have liked for her to stick up for herself. Again though, this is probably my own perception being clouded by today’s standards.
Most of the other characters are well fleshed out and I enjoyed reading about them, although I wasn’t a huge fan of Robbie as the love interest and couldn’t really understand his appeal. Even if he was attractive, I just couldn’t get on board with the fact that they had literally no contact for months on end and he didn’t even have the decency to write to Julia even though she practically begged him to. Even if I discount the many double standards in their relationship, they just didn’t seem to have much in common and it felt to me like Julia was just someone Robbie was using to pass the time.
Overall, Floating Upstream was a really engaging read for me. I was invested in Julia’s struggle and loved the great description of the town and the slow paced lifestyle. If you’re looking for a great Australian read, why not give this a try?
August 15, 2017
Coming of age genre really felt defined in this novel. Julia's life is already defined for her: arranged marriage, a family at eighteen, and absolutely no say whatsoever as to what she gets to do. With an abusive father, a compliant mother, and the draw of freedom with a boy she loves, her life just got a lot more difficult. I think it's the kind of trapped feeling that many people can identify with, and it plays a huge role in the narrative.
All in all, this was a really sweet tale. Lots of positivity to go with the bad. It felt raw and real; a reflection of real life. A fictional memoir, almost. Julia's life genuinely sucks, but she remains a dreamer. She has a small support group with her brother and some gypsies, and they help keep her grounded and focused. Friendship and love were huge themes, and they are brought to light in a wonderful,whimsical way.
Narrator tone maintains that whimsical feeling. The reader experiences Julia's longing, heartache, and indecision in a way that will make their heart clench. Emotions were evoked in a purposeful and in-your-face manner. Nothing was sugar coated. That really enhanced the reader experience, I think. Words and sentence structure were really crafted with a singular goal in mind. One that was accomplished very well.
And let me tell you about how well characters were made to go along with that. It's obvious how much care and attention the author paid to them. All of them were integral to the plot and each other. There was so much development to go around, even with the secondary characters. Not one of them finished in the same place they started. They were the kinds of people that readers would easily be able to identify with. In a way, they were all romantic-type characters that fit in well with the floaty narrative.
No matter how much life got her down, Julia kept trudging along. She suffered so many setbacks, like so many people do, but she never gave up. She turned it into fuel to get her through life. I think that's a huge, important takeaway for readers. Inspirational, almost, because life sucks and never goes the way we want it to.
I really liked this narrative. Everything from the plot, to the characters, and the description. The climax and the ending were absolutely perfect, in my opinion. Definitely a must-read for audiences of all ages. Exceptionally well done.
All in all, this was a really sweet tale. Lots of positivity to go with the bad. It felt raw and real; a reflection of real life. A fictional memoir, almost. Julia's life genuinely sucks, but she remains a dreamer. She has a small support group with her brother and some gypsies, and they help keep her grounded and focused. Friendship and love were huge themes, and they are brought to light in a wonderful,whimsical way.
Narrator tone maintains that whimsical feeling. The reader experiences Julia's longing, heartache, and indecision in a way that will make their heart clench. Emotions were evoked in a purposeful and in-your-face manner. Nothing was sugar coated. That really enhanced the reader experience, I think. Words and sentence structure were really crafted with a singular goal in mind. One that was accomplished very well.
And let me tell you about how well characters were made to go along with that. It's obvious how much care and attention the author paid to them. All of them were integral to the plot and each other. There was so much development to go around, even with the secondary characters. Not one of them finished in the same place they started. They were the kinds of people that readers would easily be able to identify with. In a way, they were all romantic-type characters that fit in well with the floaty narrative.
No matter how much life got her down, Julia kept trudging along. She suffered so many setbacks, like so many people do, but she never gave up. She turned it into fuel to get her through life. I think that's a huge, important takeaway for readers. Inspirational, almost, because life sucks and never goes the way we want it to.
I really liked this narrative. Everything from the plot, to the characters, and the description. The climax and the ending were absolutely perfect, in my opinion. Definitely a must-read for audiences of all ages. Exceptionally well done.
June 9, 2017
Seventeen year-old Julia Marconi, dreams of the day she can break free of her abusive father’s hold over her and away from her “big, fat drama-queen” mother.
Her parents, traditional Italian migrants, have always dictated Julia’s life and her future, but Julia only wants to run away with her brother Joe’s long-time friend, Robbie Ventura, who she is desperately in love with, and away from her arranged marriage with the baker’s son.
Read the rest of the review at Writerful Books
Her parents, traditional Italian migrants, have always dictated Julia’s life and her future, but Julia only wants to run away with her brother Joe’s long-time friend, Robbie Ventura, who she is desperately in love with, and away from her arranged marriage with the baker’s son.
Read the rest of the review at Writerful Books
July 15, 2015
I received a free download of this book from Story Cartel, thank you!
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but not so much the second half. It didn't end the way I wanted it to end.
As a teacher, it bothered me that Julia could continue to be so badly abused, and the police never got involved. Her own teacher even comes to visit her, but nothing happens. I wanted so much better for Julia, and it was heart-wrenching to read.
One part of the book that I did enjoy was the challenge of figuring out some of the Australian vocabulary. Several times I had to reread for context to figure out what a word meant, and was pleased to learn "new" words.
Although I didn't especially enjoy the second half of the book, it was pretty well written. There were a few errors in conventions, but not a lot.
I would read more by this author.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but not so much the second half. It didn't end the way I wanted it to end.
As a teacher, it bothered me that Julia could continue to be so badly abused, and the police never got involved. Her own teacher even comes to visit her, but nothing happens. I wanted so much better for Julia, and it was heart-wrenching to read.
One part of the book that I did enjoy was the challenge of figuring out some of the Australian vocabulary. Several times I had to reread for context to figure out what a word meant, and was pleased to learn "new" words.
Although I didn't especially enjoy the second half of the book, it was pretty well written. There were a few errors in conventions, but not a lot.
I would read more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews