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Bluebird

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( 532 ratings, 85 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
Bluebird by Malcolm Knox delves into the lives of former surf-lifesaving champion Gordon Grimes and his family as they navigate tensions and secrets in their seemingly idyllic coastal town. The arrival of Gordon's estranged brother sets off a chain of events that challenges family bonds and unveils hidden truths. This story masterfully combines elements of family drama, mystery, and the complexities of small-town relationships.
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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 like this book if you enjoy exploring themes of family dynamics, friendships, and the complexities of human relationships. Filled with sharp wit and poignant observations, this story is set against an Australian coastal backdrop, making it an engaging read for those who appreciate character-driven narratives with a touch of humour.

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'If Winton is an aria, Knox is early Rolling Stones.' The Guardian
A stunning new novel about longing, regret, redemption and the terrible legacy of decades of secrets buried in an Australian beachside suburb.

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

A house perched impossibly on a cliff overlooking the stunning, iconic Bluebird Beach. Prime real estate, yet somehow not real estate at all, The Lodge is, like those who live in it, falling apart.

Gordon Grimes has become the accidental keeper of this last relic of an endangered world. He lives in The Lodge with his wife Kelly, who is trying to leave him; their son Ben, who will do anything to save him; his goddaughter Lou, who is hiding from her own troubles; and Leonie, the family matriarch who has trapped them here for their own good.

But Gordon has no money and is running out of time to conserve his homeland. His love for this way of life will drive him and everyone around him to increasingly desperate risks. In the end, what will it cost them to hang onto their past?

Acclaimed writer Malcolm Knox has written a classic Australian novel about the myths that come to define families and communities and the lies that uphold them. It's about a certain kind of Australia that we all recognise and a certain kind of Australian whose currency is running out. Change is coming to Bluebird, whether they like it or not. And the secrets they've been keeping and the lies they've been telling can't save them now.

Savage, funny, revelatory and brilliant, Bluebird exposes the hollowness of the stories told to glorify a dying culture and shows how those who seek to preserve these myths end up being crushed by them.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760877422

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2020

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 616g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Malcolm Knox was born in 1966. He grew up in Sydney and studied in Sydney and Scotland. Malcolm is the former literary editor and award-winning cricket writer of the Sydney Morning Herald, where he broke the Norma Khouri story, for which he won one of his two Walkley Awards. His novels include A Private Man, winner of the Ned Kelly Award; Jamaica, which won the Colin Roderick Award; The Life; and most recently The Wonder Lover. His many non-fiction titles include The Greatest: The Players, the Moments, the Matches 1993-2008; The Captains: The Story Behind Australia's Second Most Important Job; Boom: The Underground History of Australia, From Gold Rush to GFC, which won the 2013 Ashurst Business Literature Prize; and Bradman's War, shortlisted in the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

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