Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here

SHORTLISTED - Premier's Prize for Non-fiction, Tasmanian Literary Awards

'Funny, devastating, miraculous, and delightful. This is an extraordinary life story, extraordinarily told.' — Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull

'[Rose] takes us to the edge of a volcanic crater of grief, passion and spirituality. Dazzling and devastating.' — Tim Rogers, author of Detours

Born on the island of Tasmania, Heather Rose falls in love with nature, but a family tragedy at age twelve sets her on a course to explore life and all its mysteries.

Here is a wild barefoot girl keen for adventure, a seeker of truth initiated in ancient rituals, a fledgling writer who becomes one of Australia's most acclaimed authors, a fierce mother whose body may falter at any moment.

Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here is a luminous, compelling and utterly surprising memoir by the bestselling author of Stella Prize-winner The Museum of Modern Love and Bruny. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this is a love story brimming with courage and joy against all odds, one that will bring wonder, light and comfort to all who read it.

Praise for Heather Rose:

'With rare subtlety and humanity, this novel relocates the difficult path to wonder in us all.' — The Christina Stead Prize judges on The Museum of Modern Love

'A glorious novel, meditative and special in a way that defies easy articulation.' — Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites on The Museum of Modern Love

'An entertaining and thought-provoking romp with authentic dialogue with characters that are all complex and multidimensional...Rose writes with emotional intuition [and] has that eminently readable interiority that only a novel can bring.' — Louise Swinn, The Saturday Paper on Bruny

'Audacious and beautiful.' — Dominic Smith, author of The Last Painting of Sara de Vos on The Museum of Modern Love

'Captivating ... a gem of a novel.' — Library Journal, starred review on The Museum of Modern Love

'Heather Rose takes no prisoners in this hugely entertaining satirical novel.' — Readings on Bruny

'Part political thriller, part family saga, part love letter to Tasmania, this is [Rose's] most ambitious novel to date.' — Australian Book Review on Bruny

'Believable, relatable people, families, romance, grief and the terser political narrative all come together with magnificent brio.' — The Sydney Morning Herald on Bruny

'Deeply involving ... profound ... emotionally rich and thought-provoking.' — Booklist, starred review on The Museum of Modern Love

'From the first pages of The River Wife, the reader is struck by the beauty of the prose. There is a fluid brook-like quality to the writing. (A celebration of) the beauty of nature and the enduring power of story.' — The Age