Craig Silvey's Jasper Jones is one of my favourite books. The Australian tale of a murder, small town predjudices and secrets, friendships, and first loves has become a classic. So his new novel Honeybee has been eagerly anticipated. It is the story of fourteen-year-old Sam Watson and an older man, Vic. Both are at a crossroad in their lives and they form an unlikely friendship. Bonded by their suffering, each privately commits to the impossible task of saving the other. Honeybee is a tender, profoundly moving novel brimming with vivid characters and luminous words. It's about two lives forever changed by a chance encounter -- one offering hope, the other redemption. It's about when to persevere, and when to be merciful, and as Sam learns, when to let go, and when to hold on.
While you are waiting to read Honeybee you might enjoy these other Australian works exploring loss and friendship, relationships and families.
The eye of the sheep Sofie Laguna
Meet Jimmy Flick. He's not like other kids - he's both too fast and too slow. He sees too much, and too little. Jimmy's mother Paula is the only one who can manage him. She teaches him how to count sheep so that he can fall asleep. She holds him tight enough to stop his cells spinning. It is only Paula who can keep Jimmy out of his father's way. But when Jimmy's world falls apart, he has to navigate the unfathomable world on his own, and make things right.
The breeding season Amanda Niehaus (Always available audiobook)
The rains come to Brisbane just as Elise and Dan descend into grief. Elise, a scientist, believes that isolation and punishing fieldwork will heal her pain. Her husband Dan, a writer, questions the truths of his life, and looks to art for answers. Worlds apart, Elise and Dan must find a way to forgive themselves and each other before it's too late.
Girl running, boy falling (Young Adult novel) Kate Gordon
Sixteen-year-old Therese lives in a small town on a small island. Her Aunt Kath calls her Tiger. Her friends call her Resey. The boy she loves calls her Champ. She’s a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Therese has always had her feet on the ground. She’s running through high school, but someone in her life is about to fall... And when he does, her perfect world falls with him. For the first time in her life, Therese can’t stand being on the ground. Girl Running, Boy Falling is a raw read about a girl and boy—who are beautifully flawed.
The broken shore Peter Temple
Joe Cashin was different once. He moved easily then; was surer and less thoughtful. But there are consequences when you've come so close to dying. For Cashin, they included a posting away from the world of Homicide to the quiet place on the coast where he grew up. Where he can take it easy and just be the country cop. That is, until a prominent local figure is murdered.
Scission (eAudiobook) Tim Winton
Tim Winton's first collection of stories deals with men, women and children whose lives are coming apart and whose hearts are breaking. These spare, jagged stories, in which people struggle with change and disintegration, are vintage Winton from one of Australia's best loved writers.
Robyn
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