The Waiting Room began life as an interim novel while I was working on Kaleidoscope, which has a historical background and was therefore quite demanding. Needing a break, I began The Waiting Room. Initially, I had expected it to take about three months, but the three months became six, and the six became nine...

It is about perspective and how we can see the same thing differently. It is not an action novel, and the suspense is more psychological than physical.

“The waiting room, which to some may seem quite large and to others relatively small, is a medium-sized rect­angular room with cream walls, burnt-orange doors, and light-coloured bamboo flooring. It can, however, appear either rectangular or square, depending on both the per­spective and emotional state of the person entering it. The floor can vary from dark polished timber to an uninteresting cheap beige linoleum, and the colour of the walls fluctuates, depending again on the individual, between off-white, old rose, and midnight blue. However, no matter their perspective regarding the size and colour of the room, everyone agrees that there are no windows and only two doors.”

“... Arthur walks slowly towards the windows, wondering at the vastness and the total emptiness of the space. Without saying anything, he wonders: What is it used for? Why is it empty? Why is it connected to the waiting room?... ”

“Is she happy? She is not completely sure. Thinking of her bag on the desk behind her, she would probably have to say no, but losing a bag, and temporarily at that, can hardly be an indicator of where one is on the happiness scale. She tries to forget about the bag, and she asks herself a second time if she is happy. The fact that she cannot come up with a definite answer worries her a little. Perhaps she is not happy; perhaps the State has failed her.”

Some comments by readers

The future .... or, is it the present ... utopia or nightmare? Each of the protagonists in this novel see their world differently, but how real is their reality? To what extent does the perceiver create the reality he perceives? The reader is drawn into the lives of the people in the waiting room. What is the symbolism of the waiting room? What lies beyond the waiting room? This is a suspenseful read, thought provoking, alarming and timely. It raises questions we would do well to examine today.

Sue McCabe

Diane Eklund–Abolins has created, with keen insight, an amazing mosaic of the complexities of the mind as borne by Arthur, who suffers from an obsessive–compulsive disorder as well as anxiety and depression. His anxiety is heightened by his fear of the unknown as he endures an increasingly long stay in the waiting room. He not only fears what lies beyond the exit door but also what the Unitas government intends to do with him.

Diane paints a formidable picture of life under the totalitarian rule of this government and its insidious rise to power. The control of Unitas over its citizens sends shudders down me, particularly when it involves the removal of children from their parents at the age of three years.

I could empathise with Arthur's stress in the waiting room as he reviews his past and visualises his departure from the room, mentally making his way to a basement parking station.

The arrival of Thea on the scene was like a breath of fresh air. She has a different outlook to Arthur. She also fills in her time in the waiting room with daydreams and fantasies, but she doesn't go overboard and even has enough sense, on one occasion, to empty her mind. Her friendship with Aaron introduces a nice touch of 'normal' human interaction.

I love the many colourful expressions: his thinking brakes suddenly; a tsunami of anxiety; she rolls back the film in her head; on the olive side of white...

Ruth C

Arthur and Thea live and work for an authoritarian party, known as “UNITAS”. They have received letters to present themselves to reception on a specified date on a specified floor of a specified building. They have no idea why they have received a letter and when they reach the waiting room at separate times they are confronted by an unfriendly receptionist which they find alarming. This story follows their thoughts as they grow more concerned as to what waits beyond the exit door. UNITAS has modified the society it dominates for example that individual freedom and rights are unimportant. They are not permitted to raise their children as the State takes over their education and careers.

This is another book of Diane's which I totally enjoyed reading.

Helena M

I have now finished The Waiting Room and have found it very confronting.  We see life as we know it slipping away, little by little. At first, one thinks it can't be so but in good ole hindsight everything is very clear indeed. To add more substance to Diane's writings there are world happenings to substantiate The Waiting Room. What we are now seeing taking place in Hong Kong, and an ABC Four Corners programme on parts of China.

Back to The Waiting Room. The three characters showcased are very different and yet all come to the same conclusion about the importance of retaining our individuality as opposed to being part of Unitas. The Epilogue was a great opportunity to see beyond the door on Level 36 and gave a conclusion to each character. This has been a great opportunity for me to read a book which is outside my comfort zone.

Lyn M

I finished THE WAITING ROOM, with a cautious sense of optimism, although throughout the book I was not always so certain of such outcomes for all characters. 1984 was in my mind too. I wanted to shake the receptionist although she too could not escape. I admire your consistent, often subtle, iteration of theme. It is obvious that you enjoy the craftsmanship of writing, and I did admire the nuanced structure of the novel.

Margaret

The Waiting Room by Diane Eklund–Abolins is an interesting and thought–provoking novel where two main characters, Arthur and Thea, living in a dystopian society, are summoned to attend an appointment and are placed into a waiting room to await their turns. Here each dwell on why they may have been called upon and what exactly might be waiting for them on the other side of the exit door. They reflect on their past lives, reliving memories and experiences and how these combined moments have come together to create the life they are living now and will live into the future. We also meet the receptionist of the waiting room who also has her own tale to tell. Are they content with their present situations or unhappy with the vast amount of change that has happened since the formation of the controlling society in which they find themselves living? Will they persevere and find acceptance or take back control of their own destinies?

This book is beautifully written. Diane has a way of making something extremely simple become something more. Her descriptions are vivid, and you will find yourself immersed in this strange and somewhat disturbing society.

Jane Howden

Arthur and Thea are two adults living and working in a futuristic society run by an authoritarian party known as ‘Unitas’. Both receive letters from the party administration ordering them to present themselves to reception on a specified floor of a specified building on a specified date.

Unitas has modified the society it dominates in line with its philosophy that individual freedoms and rights are not as important as the welfare of the society as a whole. Petrol and diesel vehicles were replaced by electric vehicles, which in turn were taken away in favour of public transport. Children are raised by the State rather than by their parents, and their education and career paths are chosen for them. The State is divided into administrative sectors and most people now live in tower blocks.

Neither Arthur nor Thea have any idea why they have been summoned. When they reach the waiting room for their allocated appointments they are confronted by an uncommunicative and unfriendly receptionist, and their fears mount. This intriguing story follows the thought processes of Arthur and Thea as they try to work out what is in store for them on the other side of the exit door. They recall details of their lives both before and after the ‘Change’ wrought by Unitas. Both live alone and have lost contact with significant others in their lives.

The unfriendly receptionist also lives alone and has lost contact with a significant person in her life. In the Epilogue of the novel we find out what happened to Arthur and Thea once they left the waiting room. We also follow the receptionist as she returns home after her day at work that has been fraught with difficulties. Perception, reality and unreality are all explored by the author through these three characters. The book is thought provoking and it is easy to imagine that our current world could transmute to a Unitas society. Many would welcome an end to environmental catastrophe, and the existence of voluntary euthanasia clinics. Many would recognize the reference to children being cared for by everyone but their working parents (before and after school care, vacation care) as an issue in our current society.

‘The Waiting Room’ is a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Susan Hollingworth, May 2019