Crisply written and dramatic… In The Mood is compelling fiction… Bloom’s novel conjures a period with great intimacy and realism, yet wears its research lightly – detail plays second fiddle to credible, deeply human characters, and the prose remains taut and evocative throughout. Comparisons to Ruth Park are inevitable – and with more novels set in the 20th century to come, it will be intriguing to see where Bloom goes next.
Cameron Woodhead, The Age
Few books about war have been told from this perspective, which makes Bloom’s book both a revelation and essential reading. IN THE MOOD is a tour de force of insightful and concentrated emotional writing.
The Spectator
‘Gould’s belief that the artistic imagination answers a need for explanations more ample and exact holds true for wartime fiction such as Laura Bloom’s In The Mood. … The value of Bloom’s approach lies in her sensitive inquiry into Catherine’s dilemma as the war ends. … The book is a tribute to the experience of women such as Catherine who suffered social opprobrium and veteran anger. …She explores those recesses of 20th-century history with conviction.’
Stella Clarke, The Australian Literary Review
‘At a time when our soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, In The Mood is a reminder of the reality of war – the battles scenes are closely based on first hand oral history accounts – and the fact that for soldiers and the people they come home to, it never ends.’
Senior Lifestyle South Coast
Writing about War Worth Reading: A review
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Hi Laura. I heard you speak at the Byron Bay Writers Festival and could not wait to read “In the Mood” -have just finished it and LOVED IT!!!! You are such an accomplished and sensitive writer. It is a beautifully crafted novel. Can’t wait to read your next one. Please hurry up and finish it.
All the best, Rosie
I have just finished “In the Mood” which I thoroughly enjoyed and am now passing on to my wife for her female viewpoint. I found it very moving and an interesting attempt to get inside the psyche of people forced to undergo the disruption of war. I, too, love the music of the era and was attracted to buy the novel by the title as I recognized the Glenn Miller reference. I think you should be very proud of your efforts with this novel and look forward to your next, as I am sure you will be seething with ideas for another!
Vince Smith
I loved “In the Mood” so very much! It was a novel of terse dimensions and tremendous insight. The characters were very real and viscerally pitted against and at times with, one another.
I loved the depth of the novel and the story was magnificent. Well done to Laura on a marvellous achievement. I didn’t want it to end.
Emmajo Knapp
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