Review by Stacey O’Carroll
Author: Susannah Begbie
Publisher: Hachette
RRP: $32.99
Release Date: 1 May 2024
“Three steps in she found the crumpled body of her dead father.”
What causes more chaos than a will and the remaining family? In Susannah Begbie’s stunning debut novel, The Deed, she exposes the messy side of family and the chaos of sibling rivalry. Winner of the 2022 Richell Prize, Begbie’s story is so beautifully crafted with hilarious and, at times, shocking prose that readers could be forgiven for forgetting The Deed is her first novel.
“Maybe it could be done and maybe it couldn’t. He’d never know unless he tried. It might prod them hard enough to open their eyes. Even if it didn’t, it would give him a laugh, and bloody hell he could do with it.”
Before Tom Edwards dies, he has a mischievous idea to pull his useless adult children back to the farm. None of his children has the ability to continue to look after the Coorong farm. Christine, David, Sophie and Jenny are struggling, not with their father’s death, but their own messy lives. Each sibling greedily thinks that their share of the farm will solve their problems until they are read the terms of the will and property deed. Before they can even think about selling the farm, the siblings must complete an unusual task or lose their claim on the inheritance.
“Jenny stepped across the metal strip pinning the carpet edge and paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim. She went slowly, cautiously.”
The Deed begins slowly and draws the reader into the world of the Edwards family before packing an almighty punch that will leave them agog. Two pages into the story, and we are dropped right in the centre of family chaos. The last sentence of the first chapter will leave your jaw dropped with its brilliance and absurdity. Furthermore, The Deed’s short chapters help create impeccable pacing that works alongside the turmoil that descends onto the family after the death of their father. It is clear from the very beginning that Begbie has wasted no words. Every sentence and word is meticulously placed to reveal details at the precise moment they will have the most impact.
“She spoke to him quietly as she worked, and he listened. It had been a long time since he had listened so kindly.”
So nuanced are the family dynamics between the siblings while they deal with grief, selfish desires and the task that the characters are equal parts relatable and absurd (or perhaps disturbed). Just when the reader begins to empathise with one of the siblings, they will behave in such a way that they will shift to another. Each character is flawed and very real. Their pain is raw and creates characters that are not who they first appear to be but are just greedy and bonkers. Begbie deftly shifts their personalities, so we start to see hidden strength from an unexpected sibling.
Begbie’s The Deed is a brilliant, compelling and exquisite debut novel. I will be incredibly surprised if her novel does not achieve further accolades. The Deed is a hilarious, shocking and exceptional novel that will delight all readers.