{"product_id":"a-beautiful-family-by-jennifer-trevelyan-9781761474750","title":"A Beautiful Family","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLONGLISTED: JOHN CREASEY DAGGER FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: NZ BOOKLOVERS AWARD FOR BEST ADULT NOVEL 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLONGLISTED: NGAIO MARSH AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'I absolutely loved this page-turning family mystery and didn't want it to end. The author so effortlessly transported me to another place and time, and every character leapt off the page. An extraordinary, exquisitely written debut.' — Liane Moriarty, author of \u003ci\u003eHere One Moment\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'An absolutely riveting read. \u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e held me captive from the first page to the last, both through Trevelyan's uncanny ability to maintain inexorable tension throughout, and her wholly believable narration of a ten-year-old trying to make sense of the adult world around her. I loved it.' — Hannah Kent, author of \u003ci\u003eDevotion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn the past we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother's preference. This year was different ...\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the summer holiday stretches ahead, with her mother disappearing on long walks, her father watching the cricket, and her sister only having eyes for the local lifeguard, the youngest in the family often finds herself alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen her new friend, Kahu, tells her a secret. Two years ago, a girl went missing and everyone said she drowned. Suddenly, the summer has purpose—they will find the missing girl and become local heroes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile hunting for clues, childhood curiosity soon gives way to a darker reality. As the summer heat peaks, their detective work brings to the surface shocking discoveries and dark secrets, even about her own beautiful family ...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJennifer Trevelyan magnificently captures the confusion and frustration of childhood, the fraught but unshakeable bond between sisters, and the dangers that lurk in the white lies we tell—especially about the people we love most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Feels like an age since I sat down and read a book, cover to cover, so quickly. Loved \u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e by Jennifer Trevelyan. Amazing!' — Jacinda Ardern\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Occasionally a book comes into the office and it's so good, I want to tell everyone about it. Jennifer Trevelyan's debut, \u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e, is that good. I've been telling everyone: you simply must read it. My heart was thumping hard as I read it. It's a thrilling book, and I really think you'll love it.' — Caroline Overington, \u003ci\u003eThe Australian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Taut yet tender, \u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e examines the precariousness of childhood through the lens of a long, hazy summer of secrets. Proving the maxim that all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way, Trevelyan has crafted a coming of age story that perfectly balances the nostalgia of summer holidays with a looming sense of danger. Find a sun-lit corner and devour this sensational debut in one session (like I did).' — Jacqueline Bublitz, author of \u003ci\u003eBefore You Knew My Name\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLeave the Girls Behind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'The haunting, captivating novel \u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e... Adored it.' — Clare Stephens, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Worst Thing I've Ever Done\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'With her imperfect understanding of the adult world and her longing to keep her family together, Alix is the perfect guide to a story in which so many things are unspoken and unexplained. The book trundles along at a deceptively languid pace until you realise that Trevelyan has expertly set up multiple mysteries that converge, stunningly, late in the game.' — \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Immersive ... Alix grasps at the truth of things, but her perspective means only the reader parses the more adult story unravelling around her. This framing is craftily handled, with Trevelyan building suspense as the underlying narratives coalesce, delving into familial ties, a child's desire for harmony, and the pinballing of a child on the brink of adolescence.' — \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'\u003ci\u003eA Beautiful Family\u003c\/i\u003e is a clever and challenging book that manages to encompass a haunting depiction of innocence lost and a powerful family melodrama, while presenting us with a heinous crime and its discovery.' — Sue Turnbull, \u003ci\u003eThe Conversation\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Trevelyan's brilliant novel is at once a captivating mystery and a portrait of a family in crisis.' — \u003ci\u003eSunday Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67798051422444,"sku":"9781761474750","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761474750-a-beautiful-family-1.jpg?v=1792471190","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/a-beautiful-family-by-jennifer-trevelyan-9781761474750","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}