Tara Button has survived massive losses during her childhood and they have made her focussed on doing everything by the book. She has a job, she does the right thing for others and so when her dying mother reaches out to her, she gets her brother Zac and they drive the old bright yellow caravan across the country. But along the way, Tara finds out who she is and faces the issues of her past. A great read.

I started off reading this novel but I wasn't getting on with the main character so put it down for a while, when I saw it was available as an audiobook, I thought I'd give that a try and found I enjoyed it much more this way. Whether it was my mood at the time of reading I don't know, but I just could not seem to like Tara who is our main character, the voice I had in my head for her just wasn't working and I found her very annoying and unlikeable. Luckily for me, the narrator did a much better job of portraying Tara than my own mind did and I found for the most part I really liked her.

The story is told in several different timelines and as Tara, her brother Zac and Dahn set off on their road trip to deliver the yellow caravan to their mother we slowly uncover Tara and Zac's backstory and learn what has led them both to the point they are in their lives. Zac is a nice guy, but not someone who takes responsibility for the actions he takes and their consequences and Tara has spent her life looking out for him and bailing him out of whatever trouble he has gotten himself into. Zac brings along plenty of trouble on this particular trip leading to drama and showdowns between the two of them.

I really liked Dahn who was Zac's best mate and I think he was my favourite character, I also liked how his interactions with Tara helped her to take stock of her life, both past and present and essentially helped her to heal from past traumas.

Tara's relationship with Zac and her mum is a complicated one and the road trip and its eventual outcome bring up all sorts of memories and emotions for them all. What starts off as a simple albeit reluctant trip for Tara turns into much more and her life won't be the same when it's over.

Ever since reading Spring Clean For The Peach Queen by Wasley, I have been looking forward to her next novel.

A story with all of the emotions centred around family relationships and forgiveness with a sprinkle of romance thrown in for good measure. Take a trip along the west coast of Australia and see where it takes you, you won't be disappointed.

This is the first book that I have read from this author and it won’t be the last, Sasha Wasley has pulled me into this story made me feel so many emotions on this journey I was angry, frustrated, sad so many times while getting to know sister and brother Tara and Zach Button as they retrace a journey that was taken twenty years before and one that changed their lives forever, there were lots of memories some happy, some sad, it is a compelling read, a must read as many emotions are pulled to the surface.

Tara is not overly happy when her mother Tabitha asks her to journey from Perth to the top of Western Australia and return the bright yellow caravan that they travelled in all those years ago and she wants Zac to come as well, Tabitha is not well and really wants to see her two children, Zac pushes Tara to do it, but the caravan needs a lot of work to get back on the road, Zac takes on this task with the help of his friend Danh who is going on the trip with them. And soon they are off on their trip neatly mapped out by Tara so as they will take the fastest route.

The trip doesn’t go as planned with Zac changing directions on one of his driving stints and they appear to have bikies following them which is putting the wind up Zac big time, Tara is trying to get the truth out of Zac and is not happy with his answer, Danh being the friend he is, is doing all he can to help both of them, he is being so supportive. It is soon clear that he has feelings for Tara and there is also the fact that every town they stop in there is some beautiful graffiti art being painted on walls bringing to light some environmental situation that is happening in that town.

As they travel further along the coast many memories are coming back for both Tara and Zac, but with the bikies showing up along the way things are becoming a little too dangerous for Tara, she has always been there for Zac and forever getting him out of problems, what will happen this time will she be able to save him. Danh is the best friend either could have he does all he can to help and he gets closer to Tara.

Tara meanwhile is having a hard time coming to terms with what she wants out of life being close to the beach is pulling at her heartstrings and making her really think about life past and present and of course there is their mother who has something that she needs to tell both Tara and Zac and this could change their lives again.

This is a beautifully written story that had me yelling at Zac getting frustrated with Tara and loving Danh, but Sasha Wasley has done her job as an author so well by getting me so involved in this story, this is one that I would highly recommend, it is a real page turner, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

My thanks to Pantera Press AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

A Caravan Like A Canary is the second stand-alone novel by Australian author, Sasha Wasley. At her mother’s dying request, Tara Button reluctantly agrees to drive the old yellow caravan up from Perth to Tabby Button’s hospice in Elsewhere. Her younger brother Zac enthusiastically organises a mate to get it roadworthy.

She takes leave from her job in the Police lab and grits her teeth against the memories of the earlier, fateful road trip forced on them by the mother she didn’t initially realise was a fugitive from the law. She’s hoping that she and Zac can reconnect during the long drive, but Zac has invited along said mate. Danh Vo (aka Benny) apparently needs a lift to a job up north, but Tara wonders if he’s rubbernecking at the infamous mother and children.

It seems, though, that they are travelling to the Kimberley in tandem with a pair of rough-looking bikers, and a talented but politically controversial graffiti artist. The bikers are a worry (is she going to have to bail out her unreliable brother yet again?); the guerrilla street art is topical and interesting.

Being in the canary-yellow caravan means that Tara is regularly swamped by memories of their earlier trip, and her mother’s relentless emails add to the emotional burden. Pressure from her unappreciative boss has her wondering why she stays in a job for which she has not an ounce of passion. Attention from Danh has her reassessing not only his motives, but her own life goals.

Wasley gives the reader a tale that features: the potential extremes to which victims of domestic violence might be driven, including taking false identities; the unfortunate consequences of a police pursuit; and the detrimental psychological effect that a stigmatising crime can have on children. It also touches on environmental issues, land rights, land care, marine care and mining practices.

Despite the seriousness of the topics, Wasley manages to relieve the tension with plenty of humour, some of it, naturally, quite dark. And she has a marvellous turn of phrase: when discussion of locally relevant issues brings forth intelligent comment from Danh, while Zac’s contributions fall to the inane and incorrect, Tara feels “It was too exhausting to argue with someone with the energy of a terrier and focus of a goldfish.” Funny, moving and thought-provoking, this is a brilliant read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pantera Press.

Another fantastic novel from Sasha Wasley! I felt so many emotions during the reading of this book. The characters were all so real and their stories did hurt my heart a little, but ultimately this book left me feeling uplifted.

The way this story revealed itself was a bit like a puzzle. The back story is not told chronologically and the timeline jumps around to different points in the protagonist, Tara’s teens & 20s. I think this was a real strength of the book as it really deepened the mystery & as the story slowly revealed itself, the characters & the book developed a real depth.

The story had quite a few twists and turns and I was absolutely there for the ride - though I would not want to travel with a character like Zac in real life!

I’ll admit the ‘interrupted road trip’ trope usually makes me a bit anxious & frustrated but there was something about this book, perhaps the beautiful landscapes, the communities, or Danh’s calming presence that made me enjoy the detours along the way.

Covering some very contemporary issues, from climate change and modern activism to addiction and domestic & family violence, this is a story about complex family relationships and self-discovery following trauma. Though it has some heavy content, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and some moments truly made my heart soar.

Congrats Sasha Wasley on another excellent and engaging read!

This is a lovely, heartwarming read across two time periods. Tara Button and her brother Zac road trip in the caravan to visit their dying mother, bringing back memories of a trip in their childhood. This story is emotionally charged, but light to read, and a sweet storyline with great settings. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tara Button and her brother Zac lived with their Nan in Perth when their mother was unable to care for them, and when Nan eventually died, their mum, who was in Elsewhere, way up north on the Western Australian coast from Perth, asked Tara and Zac to bring her old yellow caravan up to Elsewhere. It was derelict after being in the shed at Nan’s house for twenty years, but when Zac had it fixed, Tara took time off from work and they headed up the coast of WA. Zac’s best friend, Danh, went along for the ride, sharing the driving. But it was the bikies who appeared every now and again, following them, menacing them, that rattled Zac…

Twenty years prior, when Tara and Zac were kids, their mother, along with the baby, Sunny, Tara and Zac, headed north from Perth with the little canary yellow caravan. They stopped at small towns, sometimes for a couple of nights, sometimes for a week. Tara was bothered about not doing any schoolwork, but Zac was thrilled not to be at school. Tara spent most of her time keeping Zac out of trouble, but one thing she knew – she loved the beauty and majesty of the ocean.

Tara’s memories swamped her as she, Zac and Dahn travelled the coastal road. But her worry over Zac continued. What would happen once they reached Elsewhere?

A Caravan Like a Canary by Aussie author Sasha Wasley is a wonderful novel, as it moves back and forth in time, sharing Tara and Zac’s childhood, and the traumas they went through. Current day Tara had had to grow up fast, but Zac was still irresponsible, even as an adult. I liked Danh, enigmatic, calm, respectful, kind – a great friend to both the Button’s. A poignant, memorable contemporary novel, A Caravan Like a Canary is one I recommend highly.

With thanks to Pantera Press AU via NetGalley for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful book, loved the authors previous novel ‘Spring Clean for the Peach Queen’ and this was just as good.
Tara Button has been asked by her mother to bring the family caravan up to Elsewhere. The bright yellow van has been sitting behind the shed at her grandmothers place for the last 20 years, since it went on its last family trip to Elsewhere. Tara can’t understand why especially since her Mum is a hospice for palliative care and it’s a trip she really doesn’t want to do. Accompanied by her brother Zac and his friend Danh the trip is recreated but not without its troubles and secrets.
Told beautifully in dual timelines of 20 years apart, we learn of the family’s troubled past. The past is also revealed in the present via emails to Tara from her mother. Each character comes to life, I loved Tara’s growth, her brother Zac has his own ways of coping with the past and he’s one I was was so exasperated with but you couldn’t help but like him. I also loved how loyal his friends were but Danh, who is a quiet thinker, has his own reasons for coming on the trip.
This was a book that made me feel all the emotions and that is what I love in a book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read

Sasha Wasley’s has done it again, I fell in love with her writing last year when I read her novel Spring Clean for the Peach Queen, and her latest offering is a well-drawn story of a troubled family’s love through the good and bad.

Set between the past and present this is a story of Tara Button, her family, a bright yellow caravan and two road trips twenty years apart.

Her mother is dying and she is desperate for Tara and her brother Zac to bring the caravan to her.

For Tara, especially, this brings back some tough memories... they travel the same road as they did twenty years prior when things were tough and they got tougher along the way.

As I read this book, I was taken on a journey along with Tara, with the flash backs from the past I was able to piece together all the events that made Tara who she was in the present and who she was to ultimately become.

Along for the ride her brother Zac proved to be a handful but Tara was always looking out for him when many probably would have walked away. An understanding of why comes later in the book.

Dahn, Zac’s friend, someone too who would always watch out for Zac, also came along for the ride. Dahn had secrets and initially Tara was quite weary of him, unsure of him, his motives.

But not all secrets are bad.

The loved the coastal locations and could totally relate to Tara’s connection with the water, having grown up by the beach and recently moving where the beach is on my doorstep, it has always been a calming place.

Sasha has written a wonderful story, with heart warming moments, moments that will bring a tear to your eye. It explores personal growth and complex family issues, and characters you’ll end up falling in love with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantera Press for so kindly gifting me an ARC, I highly recommend it.

Spring Clean For the Peach Queen was one of my favourite reads from last year so I was keen to get my hands on this one. It definitely lived up to expectations with another move exploring personal growth and complex family relationships as well as addiction, domestic violence, grief and resilience.

The story unfolds in a dual timeline, with some emails to Tara from her dying mother. We slowly learn about the events that led to the first road trip And shaped the lives of siblings Tara and Zac. I loved getting to know both Tara and Zac and seeing their relationship change over the novel. I found it fascinating the different ways the siblings coped with their childhood. Zac turning to drugs and alcohol and Tara with anger then a need for control. I really enjoyed seeing Tara’s personal growth and seeing her find some peace with the ocean.

Coming along for second road trip is Zac’s childhood friend Danh. Initially this was a source of tension between the siblings then Danh becoming a peacekeeper. I enjoyed his experiences as a first generation Australia and learning there was a lot more under the surface. He along with the sibling’s mother and and grandmother made for some great supporting characters.

The scenery of different parts of Western Australia were so vivid I could picture myself there in the canary caravan. Great writing, heart warming moments, tough topics covered and engaging characters I can’t wait to see what Sasha comes up with next.

Wow, I absolutely loved this. The writing was great, as were the characters and plot. It was interesting, engaging and just overall enjoyable to read. I felt that it really captured the essence of the Australian landscape, as well as talking about some important issues in a relevant way. A great read I would definitely recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this. I've read Sasha Wasley's previous book, Spring Clean for the Peach Queen and loved it. I was expecting something similar, but this book is completely different. This book will take your heart and twist it in so many directions, finishing it will be all you think about.
Zac; you like him and dislike him at the same time. Danh is precious and written perfectly. Tara is just amazingly resilient and those flashbacks to when she was young... oh so heart-breaking.
It saddens me to know that this book accurately describes the issues that Australia is facing right now. The environment, the big corporations, the domestic violence and the alcoholism.
A very emotional read.