Author(s): Peggy Frew

Aust Fiction

A stunning literary novel from the author of the Stella Prize shortlisted Hope Farm. There was a house on a hill in the city and it was full of us, our family, but then it began to empty. We fell out. We made a mess. We draped ourselves in blame and disappointment and lurched around, bumping into each other. Some of us wailed and shouted; some of us barely made a sound. None of us was listening, or paying attention. And in the middle of it all you, very quietly, were gone. Helen and John are too preoccupied with making a mess of their marriage to notice the quiet ways in which their daughters are suffering. Junie grows up brittle and defensive, Anna difficult and rebellious. When fifteen-year-old Anna fails to come home one night, her mother's not too worried; Anna's taken off before but always returned. Helen waits three days to report her disappearance. But this time Anna doesn't come back ... A spellbinding novel in the tradition of Helen Garner, Charlotte Wood and Georgia Blain, Islands is a riveting and brilliant portrait of a family in crisis by the breathtakingly talented author of House of Sticks and Hope Farm. 'Peggy Frew is an amazing writer...Elegant, tender and very wise.' Chris Womersley  

Staff Review

From the incandescent opening pages, this story draws the reader into the landscape of the island where the novel unfolds, but also into the heart of a family grappling with tragedy. When fifteen-year-old Anna disappears, her family members unravel in their own separate ways. But it is the ending of this book that will put your heart in your mouth. Recommended for those who love beautifully written contemporary Australian stories, such as those by Helen Garner & Georgia Blain. Molly