The God of No Good

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Pub Date Feb 01 2023 | Archive Date Jun 07 2023

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Description

'Deeply moving … so powerful it can’t help but explode like fireworks across the final page.’ – Trent Dalton

This is not a book about divorce. It’s not a book about God, either. You might think it is a book about goodness and what it means to be a good person, but it isn’t. Like everything else, this is about love.

Sita Walker was raised by five strong matriarchs who taught her to believe in God and to be good. Her grandmother, mother and three aunts believed in their unshakeable Bahá’í faith, in the power of prayer, in sacrifice, in magic, in the healing of turmeric and tea, and the wisdom of dreams.

But as hard as she tries to be good, Sita always suspects that deep down, she isn’t very good at all.

At thirty-five, she hasn’t prayed in years, her dream of true love has died, and along with it, her faith – not that she’s telling her mother, or her aunts. Now, the only way she can fulfill her destiny is to seek out the wisdom of the ones who came before, and truly understand the women who raised her. But will they understand her? Either way, the matriarchy will never be the same again.

Traversing decades and continents – from Iran to India, Sri Lanka to the Czech Republic, Adelaide to the Torres Strait – The God of No Good is a beautifully lyrical and funny intergenerational memoir about six women and how their lives intertwine. Filled with wit and wisdom, it is a story that only Sita Walker could tell, but it will resonate with readers everywhere. 

'Deeply moving … so powerful it can’t help but explode like fireworks across the final page.’ – Trent Dalton

This is not a book about divorce. It’s not a book about God, either. You might think it...


Advance Praise

‘Gestures of love leave the deepest imprint, be it Walker’s grandmother brewing masala chai or plucking a jam-coated chapati from her apron pocket. The God of No Good is a moving debut exploding with heart, warmth and wisdom, for fans of Zadie Smith, Alice Pung and Candice Carty-Williams.’ 

Books+Publishing


‘Walker has crafted a beautiful tapestry of stories from the lives of her parents and grandparents as she wrestles with doubt and the Bahà’í religion with which she was raised … Some of her descriptions are so achingly beautiful that I marked the pages to come back to them.’

Artshub


‘It’s hard to believe that The God of No Good is Sita Walker’s first book ... Walker’s memoir reads like a novel and is by turns haunting and hilarious. She has an effortless way with prose, capturing something essential about everyday moments with a deft turn of phrase ...’

Readings Monthly


‘readable, relatable and valuable’

Sydney Morning Herald


‘a witty memoir about Sita and the five matriarchs who raised her with love and their strong Bahá’í faith (but when was the last time Sita prayed? She can’t remember.) The God of No Good is Nora Ephron-esque’

Harper’s Bazaar


‘Through vignettes that cross generations and international borders, Walker paints a portrait of her family history and the five matriarchs that raised her, all while exploring the dwindling relationship to her Baháʼí faith and the dissolution of her marriage.’

RUSSH 

‘Gestures of love leave the deepest imprint, be it Walker’s grandmother brewing masala chai or plucking a jam-coated chapati from her apron pocket. The God of No Good is a moving debut exploding with...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781761151316
PRICE A$36.99 (AUD)
PAGES 288

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Featured Reviews

How beautiful is this cover!! 🍃🍵
It holds a heartwarming and seemingly very honest memoir that has recently been published and is receiving lots of positive reviews.

Sita Walker has written a beautiful, lifelong love story that ebbs and flows through her relationships with her grandmother, mother, three gorgeous aunts (all of whom you will wish were yours), her father (who sounds too good to be true), her siblings, her ex-husband, her children, her teaching career, her students, her love of literature and words, her friends, her neighbours, her neighbourhood…and finding new love on Bumble. Despite the title this is a book that is full of wonderful imagery and so much good!

I have to be honest, at first I was worried this was going to be a story of love gone wrong on Bumble, but Walker weaves in and out of loving, funny, sad, personal anecdotes of family, loss and grief, hope, everyday life...that connect her story to who she is and where she is now. ❤️

I also loved reading about Walker's family's migration story, the crosscultural experiences, and learning about the Bahá'í faith.

Have you ever listened to The Moth podcast? Storytelling of real life stories! There's a real art to story telling and this book is an example of when it is done well. I would love to listen to the audiobook.

Thank you to #netgalley and @ultimopress for the e-book in return for an honest review. 5⭐️

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