Non-fiction: This House of Grief

Introduction
"This House of Grief" is a non-fiction book by Australian author Helen Garner, published in 2014. The book documents the trial of Robert Farquharson, who was charged with the murder of his three young sons in a terrible cars and truck accident that took place in 2005. Garner went to the trial, observing the proceedings and offering an individual, intimate account of a case that captivated and divided the Australian public.

Background
On Father's Day, September 4th, 2005, Farquharson drove his three children - Jai, Tyler, and Bailey - back to their mother, Cindy Gambino's home, after an afternoon see. En route, Farquharson's vehicle veered off the roadway, plunged into a dam, and quickly filled with water. Robert managed to get away and swim to the surface area, however the three young boys drowned inside the lorry.

Farquharson claimed that he had actually suffered a coughing fit and blacked out, causing him to lose control of the car. Nevertheless, some members of the community thought that his actions were premeditated and driven by a desire for revenge versus his ex-wife, Cindy. Farquharson was ultimately charged with 3 counts of murder and was the center of two high-profile trials.

First Trial
In Garner's account, the very first trial is defined by a wealth of inconclusive evidence and inconsistencies in Farquharson's story. Witnesses testified that he had actually made hazards to eliminate his kids to penalize his ex-wife, while others supplied accounts that contradicted his claim of blacking out. The prosecution preserved that Farquharson's actions were calculated, while the defense argued that the disaster was, in fact, a terrible mishap.

Garner catches the emotional turmoil of Cindy Gambino, who at first supported her ex-husband's claims and stopped working to testify versus him at the first trial. Farquharson was found guilty on all counts, and the case ended up being an advertised media phenomenon. The author utilizes her own emotions, observations, and sensations about the case to supply an intimate photo of the trial.

Appeal
After being founded guilty in 2008, Farquharson was granted an appeal in 2009 on the premises that the jury may have been affected by an inappropriate discussion in between a juror and a witness. As an outcome, his convictions were quashed, and a new trial was ordered. Garner, once again, observes the proceedings and brings attention to the changes in the retrial process.

2nd Trial
The retrial in 2010 saw Gambino switching sides and affirming against her ex-husband, encouraged by proof that he had killed her children. Garner described the minute when Cindy recognizes that she had been incorrect in holding onto the belief that Farquharson was innocent and the tremendous personal catharsis she experiences. With brand-new proof and witnesses, the prosecution argued that Farquharson had actually prepared and engineered the deaths of his children. The defense continued to maintain that he had blacked out due to a medical episode which his conviction would be a miscarriage of justice.

Garner's story of the second trial includes the expedition of Farquharson's character, experiences, and the effect the trial had on the community and the people involved. In spite of the defense's arguments and the trouble of proving a motive, Farquharson was again condemned on all counts.

Conclusion
"This House of Grief" is a compelling and emotional account of the awful deaths of three young kids and the trials of their dad, Robert Farquharson, who was convicted of their murder. Garner's intimate and individual observations of the procedures, the aftershocks of the catastrophe, and the long lasting effect on the people that were linked to the case, use an unique and thought-provoking point of view on among Australia's most haunting criminal cases.