Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Tango in Newtown

I am currently reading The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado by Marele Day. My mother got it out of the local library after reading her other book Lambs of God which I had been throwing out for some reason. She recommended Dolores Delgado to me as it is set in Sydney (Newtown, Kings Cross and Balmain mainly) and so I borrowed it from the library after Mum.

Dolores' death takes place at a Tango themed bar/restaurant in Newtown which I suspect is where I had my 21st Birthday party in 1989. The book was written in 1992 and includes a funny scene where the PI Claudia Valentine (who is investigating her friend Dolores death) is embarassed to use her new mobile phone in public. You can just imagine it being the size of a brick! There are frequent references to the gentrification that was occuring in the 1990's of inner city suburbs such as Balmain, Newtown and Coogee and the reaction to this by the locals.

There is also a part where Claudia is followed by a Barina, which was the first car I ever brought, in 1992. So many personal reference points and I am quite enjoying the story itself.

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