Leslie Cannold is a familiar name for those that follow the news media, having written opinion articles for many of the major Australian broadsheets and online forums, so it was with some surprise that I realised The Book of Rachael was her debut novel, if not her first book. Her past experience as a writer has clearly paid off though as this is a confident and enjoyable debut that makes easy work of a difficult topic and isn’t afraid to step on a few toes.

The Book of Rachael starts off from an idea. Much is known about the brothers of Jesus of Nazareth, but nothing is ever mentioned about his sisters. What must it have been like to have been, not just the sister of Jesus, but a woman in those times? It’s an interesting question that, as the basis for a novel, is fraught with peril. Using such a ubiquitous story risks being overwhelmed by the original or, when pushing beyond the constraints of the original, risks offence. But Leslie Cannold uses one of the most famous tales in existence to tell her own story and to make her own philosophical arguments and she does both very well.

Rachael is the youngest sister of Joshua (Jesus), child of Miriam and Josef, and lives in the small and relatively poor village of Nazareth. As the book opens, we find Rachael almost immediately in trouble for directly intervening in the birth of a lamb, saving its life, rather than simply praying that all would be well. For her actions, Rachael is punished and the lamb is slaughtered. Rachael is five. This sets the tenor of her character over the course of the novel. Rachael is brash, intelligent and caring, unable to accept the limitations that society has placed on her, just for being female. She rails, sometimes carefully, sometimes not, against her assigned role and does her best to ignore it. Unfortunately, most of the people around her are not as keen on her independence and her mother, in particular, tries to rein her in, rather viciously at times.

The character of Rachael is used to examine the plight of women in those distant times and also, by extension, the treatment of women in modern days by similarly orthodox religions. The actions taken against some of the female characters in the novel are quite hard to comprehend at times. Even more so because of the callous indifference that lies behind them. Her character also allows for the examination of Joshua’s actions at a slight remove and from the eyes of someone who loved him, not for his holiness and rebellion, but for his gentle love and his kindness. For his tendency to quietly help her, even when it pushes the boundaries of his religion. For his humanity.

Politics and religion aside, the book moves along fluidly and easily. The story itself is always interesting and balances the contrasting emotions and personalities of the characters well. The interaction between the firebrands in Rachael and Judah and the more peaceful natured Joshua, Josef and Shona (Rachael’s older sister) are enjoyable and it’s easy to see what draws them together and how conflicts arise. The relationship between Rachael and Judah is particularly well handled and leads to some deeply felt scenes. Even Miriam, Rachael’s mother, who begins as a deeply unpleasant character becomes somewhat sympathetic by the end. Her treatment of her daughter explained, if not pardoned, by her own past and her fear of what will become of Rachael if she can’t accept her place in society.

A lot of research clearly went into crafting the novel and it shows, but fortunately it shows subtly, in the margins. The culture of the times, the interactions between the genders and between the church and the people was all fascinating and felt very faithfully described. Because the focus of the book is Rachael and through her, Judah, there is only a smattering of direct biblical references and, when they do occur, they feel like a very natural and necessary part of the novel. Stories such as the resurrection of Lazarus and even the betrayal of Joshua are handled skillfully and act as interesting touchstones for a reader who is (in my case) at best casually conversant with biblical stories. Dr Cannold also goes to the roots of these stories and gives us a carefully considered account of what may really have happened and how the interpretation of the events changed to become those we know today.

Quick-paced, sharply observed and with a keen eye for human behaviour, The Book of Rachael is a great read and a very strong addition to the canon of Australian literature.

-Sky Kirkham