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Bodies of Light

Winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award
4.28 goodreads logo

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( 8,510 ratings, 818 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down is a poignant exploration of a woman's struggle to rebuild her life after a traumatic past. The narrative follows her journey across different years and settings as she grapples with themes of identity, resilience, and the search for belonging. Amidst personal challenges and societal expectations, the story offers a moving portrayal of hope and redemption.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate deeply moving narratives that explore themes of resilience and healing. The story offers a poignant look at the journey of a woman who navigates life's challenges with courage and determination, providing an insightful and emotional reading experience.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Jennifer Down cements her status as a leading light of Australian literary fiction in this heart-rending and intimate saga of one woman's turbulent life.

So by the grace of a photograph that had inexplicably gone viral, Tony had found me. Or—he'd found Maggie.

I had no way of knowing whether he was nuts or not; whether he might go to the cops. Maybe that sounds paranoid, but I don't think it's so ridiculous. People have gone to prison for much lesser things than accusations of child-killing.

A quiet, small-town existence. An unexpected Facebook message, jolting her back to the past. A history she's reluctant to revisit—dark memories and unspoken trauma, warning knocks on bedroom walls, unfathomable loss.

She became a new person a long time ago. What happens when buried stories are dragged into the light?

This epic novel from the two-time Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelist of the Year is a masterwork of tragedy and heartbreak—the story of a life in full. Sublimely wrought in devastating detail, Bodies of Light confirms Jennifer Down as one of the writers defining her generation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down is lauded for its intense emotional depth, exploring themes of trauma, resilience, and human connection. Reviewers describe it as a beautifully written and heartbreaking narrative with a compelling, complex female protagonist. The novel is praised for its authenticity, empathy, and artistry, presenting difficult life events with dignity and hope. Down's writing is recognised for its emotional richness and ability to transform trauma into something magnificently profound. Critics celebrate the book as a significant achievement in Australian literature.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922458957

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 October 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 299g

Pages: 448

About the Author

Jennifer Down is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in the Age, Saturday Paper, Australian Book Review and Literary Hub. She was named a Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelist of the Year consecutively in 2017 and 2018. Our Magic Hour, her debut novel, was shortlisted for the 2014 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript. Her second book, Pulse Points, was the winner of the 2018 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction and the 2018 Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection in the Queensland Literary Awards, and was shortlisted for a 2018 NSW Premier's Literary Award. She lives in Naarm/Melbourne.

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  • Our Magic Hour
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    The characters in Jennifer Down's Pulse Points live in small dusty towns, glittering exotic cities, and slow droll suburbs; they are mourners, survivors, and perpetrators. In the award-winning "Aokigahara," a young woman travels to the sea of trees in Japan to say goodbye. In "Coarsegold," a woman conducts an illicit affair while her recovering girlfriend works the overnight motel shift...
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  • Bodies of Light
    So by the grace of a photograph that had inexplicably gone viral, Tony had found me. Or: he’d found Maggie. I had no way of knowing whether he was nuts or not; whether he might go to the cops. Maybe that sounds paranoid, but I don’t think it’s so ridiculous. People have gone to prison for much lesser things than...
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