Description:
When Georgie leaves behind all she knows and loves to take on a high-stakes job in Canada, she quickly learns how challenging it will be to balance her professional and personal lives all while trying to keep on top of things.
Brief description: Jay Martin lives and works on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. After growing up in Melbourne, she travelled widely before landing in Perth, where she studied Asian languages and worked in community development, and later Canberra, where she studied and worked in public policy. Her first book, Vodka and Apple Juice: Travels of an Undiplomatic Wife in Poland, about her three years living in Warsaw, won the Hungerford Award and was published by Fremantle Press in 2018. Having happily resettled back in Fremantle, she swore she would never again live anywhere cold, dark, or more than one direct flight from Perth again. When she was offered a two-year work secondment to Alberta, Canada, she said yes. Jay lives in Fremantle with her husband and a cat with an unlikely name.
Review Quotes:
'This intelligent debut follows Georgie from the searing Aussie outback to the freezing Canadian North. While working hard to pay her debts, Georgie is going through an existential crisis. How can she align her personal values with her career goals in a global mining company? Witty and wry, Boom Town Snap looks at the use of power from the top-level of governments and corporations right down to the dynamics in marriages and family. All along, we're cheering for Georgie to realise her true value and find her way out of the mess. Boom Town Snap is a nuanced story about relationships, communities and our impact on the natural world. It will keep you thinking long after you've finished the last page.' Petronella McGovern, The Last Trace
'Boom Town Snap takes readers from the broiling heat of Karratha to the arctic tundra of the Canadian oil sands, challenging us to grapple with the realities of our short-sighted politics. At the heart of this highly original story is one woman's heartbreak and humanity. Pacey and full of tension, Jay Martin's debut novel is bold, unflinching and tender, and, ultimately, incredibly hopeful.' Ashley Kalagian Blunt, bestselling author of Dark Mode
'Boom Town Snap is smart, salacious and full of depth. Jay Martin deftly explores gender politics, sex, family, and the messy morality of the mining industry. Fast-paced and riveting from start to finish.' Amy Lovat, Mistakes and Other Lovers
'Boom Town Snap is a gripping story that captures ambition, survival and secrets blended with humour and drama. The twists and unexpected turns kept me engaged from start to end.' Kody, Better Reading Preview