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This House of Grief

The Story of a Murder Trial

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This House of Grief

By: Helen Garner
Narrated by: Kate Hood
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About this listen

This House of Grief is a heartbreaking audiobook by one of Australia's most admired authors. Anyone can see the place where the children died. You take the Princes Highway past Geelong, and keep going west in the direction of Colac.

Late in August 2006, soon after I had watched a magistrate commit Robert Farquharson to stand trial before a jury on three charges of murder, I headed out that way on a Sunday morning, across the great volcanic plain.

On the evening of 4 September 2005, Father's Day, Robert Farquharson, a separated husband, was driving his three sons home to their mother, Cindy, when his car left the road and plunged into a dam. The boys, aged 10, seven and two, drowned. Was this an act of revenge or a tragic accident?

The court case became Helen Garner's obsession. She followed it on its protracted course until the final verdict.

In this utterly compelling audiobook, Helen Garner tells the story of a man and his broken life. She presents the theatre of the courtroom with its actors and audience - all gathered to witness to the truth - players in the extraordinary and unpredictable drama of the quest for justice.

©2014 Helen Garner (P)2016 Bolinda Grief & Loss History Law Murder Personal Development Relationships True Crime Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing Crime

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All stars
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This crime book was written from the perspective of the court case (and appeals). It was easy to follow, and posed a surprising theory of defence.

Crime story from a different angle

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This book is a standout in the true crime genre. The author - who is an excellent, clear and compelling writer - tells the tragic story of three little boys who died after their father drove off the road one fateful night. The question about whether he did it purposefully or accidentally (as he claims) is at the heart of the book, and the author's choice to tell us the story through the murder trial is genius because we feel like we're actually in the courtroom. She doesn't tell it clinically, or analyse the legal side of the trial, but rather as a spectator and journalist trying to decide (as the jury is) how to figure out if this man is guilty or innocent, based on her impression of the accused and victims.
Finally - the narration is superb and really adds to this experience.

Brilliant & unique insight into a tragedy

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See title of review. No sense of character but I suppose interesting exploration of the adversarial court system and it did involve me in that but I was bored with the endless repetition of essentially the same story.

OK if you really enjoy the minutiae of tortuous courtroom detail

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Helen Garner is an accomplished journalist whose skills in research and engaging writing come to the fore in this examination of an Australian tragedy - the death of three young boys at the hands of their father. She manages to keep a critical distance from the trauma of the accident as she follows the court case allowing the reader/ listener to form their own judgements about the culpability or not of the defendant. It’s a very sad event but she does not allow the text to be maudlin or sentimental and she retains respect and sympathy for those involved.

Murder or tragic accident?

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