Willowman

Willowman may well be the perfect Australian novel. — Readings

Beguiling and entertaining. — Peter Lalor, Weekend Australian

A sweet strike that goes beyond the boundary. — The Age

Joyous storytelling at its best. I was enthralled. — Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

I bloody loved this - a gorgeous, heartbreaking examination of so much more than cricket. — Robbie Arnott, author of Limberlost

Allan Reader, one of the last traditional batmakers in the country, keeps his family business alive in a small workshop in Melbourne.

When Todd Harrow, a gifted young batter, catches Allan's eye, a spark is lit and Allan decides to make a Reader bat for him, selecting the best piece of willow he's harvested in years to do so.

As Harrow charts a meteoric rise to the highest echelons of the sport, Allan's bat takes centre stage as well, awakening something in him. But can Allan's fledgling renaissance — hanging as it does on the magic of that bat — carry on after Harrow is stricken by injury and a strained personal life?

A six all the way: Willowman is a novel off the middle of the bat. — Sydney Morning Herald

These charismatic characters rise memorable from the page, stroke by inspired stroke, ball by crafty ball, living vividly through cricket history. — Courier Mail

A book for the summer, one to throw in the kitbag to read during rain delays, or between overs in the stands, to read even if you're not a fan of the game. — Canberra Times

Not since Jasper Jones have I been so utterly spellbound by the next ball, the state of the pitch and the intricacies of scoring. — Kate Mildenhall

A love story to cricket, to families, to craft and to music. Beautifully written. — Michael Brissenden

Inga Simpson brings all her craft and sensitivity to a story that has never been told, and now that she has done it, it feels like this was a story that was needing to be told. — Malcolm Knox