Review by Stacey O’Carroll
Author: Annika Johansson
Publisher: Echo Publishing
RRP: $32.99
Release Date: Out Now
“The life that Sal and I had two weeks ago is now a peeling, stewing carcass.”
In February 2022, Lismore and the Northern Rivers region of NSW experienced the worst flooding disaster in Australian recorded history. The flooding was catastrophic, enveloped almost the entire town of Lismore, swamped and destroyed houses and businesses, and led to four deaths. So, it is no wonder such a traumatic event and the real stories about residents’ options in the aftermath of the flood inspired Northern Rivers author Annika Johansson’s novel, Down Stream.
“A couple more sticky steps. I have an overwhelming desire to scream—scream it all away, rewind time. Or fast-forward; I’m not sure what’s better.”
In Down Stream, Lismore resident Rob and his wife Sal two weeks after they were evacuated from their family home as flood waters began to rise. The empty-nesters have come to inspect the damage to their street and beloved home. Within the chaos of the debris and decay they cannot enter their house and are now homeless and adrift. Rob and Sal’s once safe and secure home life has been washed away along with many of their memories and belongings. After a short time living at Sal’s mother’s place in nearby Ballina, Rob thinks they have finally found a rental to tide them over until they can return and fix their house—a small two-bedroom flat. However, on the day they arrive to get the keys and move in, Rob and Sal discover the unit has been accidentally rented to another couple as well. The other couple is the complete opposite of Rob and Sal—older, in a de facto relationship, and weed-smoking hippies. With no other options for accommodation, Rob and Sal decide to share the two-bedroom flat with the strangers. Besides, it is only for six months. They have already been through the worst experience of their life, so what could possibly go wrong?
“There’s an awkward silence. Flatmates. I look at the four of us. That certainly is not a term I would use to describe us.”
Told from the perspective of Rob, Johansson’s Down Stream captures the grief and the disarray that comes after a traumatic event and losing one’s home. Johansson’s quirky story was inspired by a conversation she had about a friend’s family’s options after the Lismore flood. The lingering trauma sits in the background like a waterlogged towel, waiting to be ringing out. Yet, somehow, Johansson finds humour in the midst of sadness, which perfectly demonstrates the dark and light balances of life. Lenny, the weed-smoking hippy flatmate, tests Rob’s boundaries, lifestyle and thinking and provides many moments of comic relief. However, the focus on Rob’s inner thoughts about his flatmates did start to drag the story down and make me long for the more poignant moments, such as Sal and Rob’s return to clear out their mouldy house. The anticipation and heartbreak experienced by the reader as the couple slowly move through their property and discover the true extent of their loss is immense. We are walking alongside them, hoping to find something the flood waters and mud have not damaged.
“The musty aroma almost wipes me out. We lift our T-shirts over our mouth and nose and survey the living room. It’s a different kind of smell now.; less mud-fresh, more mouldy.”
Although the focus of the story is on the absurd living situation, I did wish that the story started either before the flood or at the point of evacuation rather than in the aftermath. Whilst not recounting something still so fresh for many may have isolated readers, beginning at the evacuation point might have situated the reader closer to the trauma Rob and Sal experienced prior to their upheaval. Johansson has created four very distinct characters who are easily situated in their location. However, perhaps breaking up Rob’s narration/perspective with either Sal’s or Lenny’s might have added another layer to the story.
“The anger rises in my belly like a wildfire. I don’t want to live anywhere else.”
At the core of Johansson’s Down Stream is a reminder of what the people of Lismore experienced during the 2022 floods and continue to experience in the aftermath. Her novel puts the events back into the minds of readers. Down Stream will have readers hoping Rob and Sal can return home and wondering what wild thing will happen next with Lennie in the flat.