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Australiana

By Yumna Kassab
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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
Australiana is set in a small Australian town, where the heat of summer and the change of seasons set the backdrop for intertwined lives and secrets. Everyone thinks they know each other and their shared histories, yet perceptions diverge and truths remain elusive. Through multiple perspectives, Yumna Kassab reveals a tapestry of rural life, exposing how deeply connected and complex these relationships are, capturing the essence of community, identity, and place.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
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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?

This novel is ideal for readers interested in literary fiction that explores Australian rural life, community dynamics, and multiple narrative perspectives. Fans of nuanced character studies, lyrical prose, and works that challenge traditional national myths will find Australiana deeply engaging.

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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
Shortlisted for the University Of Queensland Fiction Book Award

‘The real deal.’ – Favel Parrett, author of Past the Shallows and There Was Still Love

'Kassab creates an eerie sense of place as the reader is drawn into myriad perspectives and geographies. Without doubt Australiana is an unnerving contribution to contemporary novel writing in this continent.'​ - Books + Publishing

‘poetic, wise and peppered with black humour.’ - T: The New York Times Style Magazine Australia

One small town, a multitude of stories.

When the river runs dry, the town runs red.

This could be any small town. It aches under the heat of summer. It flourishes in the cooler months. Everyone knows everyone. Their families, histories and stories are interwoven and well-known by one and all. Or at least, they think they are. But no-one sees anything quite the same way. Perceptions differ, truths are elusive, judgements have outcomes and everything is connected. For better or for worse.
 
This is a version of small-town Australia that is recognisable, both familiar and new, exploring the characters, threads, and connections that detail everyday life to reveal a much bigger story. A tapestry that makes up this place called home.
 
From the acclaimed author of The House of Youssef comes this extraordinary and unique novel shining a light on Australian rural life.

‘It is a novel of themes, textures, and interplay, seeking engagement through white space and chorus.’ - The Australian

‘There are times that reading these stories feels like being let in on some juicy gossip. And other times, we witness tragedy that is usually hidden from outsiders. In this way, I see Australiana as not merely challenging the established mythology of the regions but creating a new one.’ - Sydney Review of Books

‘Australiana plays with myths of Australian bush life while simultaneously restoring focus on the stories of those who live their lives in the regions. I recognise my young self and those I lived among in its pages.’ - The Conversation


PRAISE FOR THE HOUSE OF YOUSSEF
‘The unadorned style and unobtrusive realism of this book mask, at first, how experimental and original it is in other ways’ – Sydney Morning Herald
 
‘Kassab’s prose is unsparing and frank yet unstinting’ – Australian Book Review
 
 
 

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?

Celebrated for its poetic, wise prose and black humour, Australiana offers a crisp and authentic voice that portrays Australia's regions with complexity and nuance. Critics praise Kassab's eerie evocation of place and her experimental narrative style, describing the novel as an unnerving and essential addition to contemporary Australian literature. It is recognised for challenging and reshaping myths of bush life, illuminating the hidden stories of rural communities with exquisite storytelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761150609

Publisher: Ultimo Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 March 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Ultimo Press

Edition: Trade Paperback

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 411g

Pages: 304

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Yumna Kassab

About the Author

Yumna Kassab is a writer from Western Sydney. She studied medical science and neuroscience at university. Her fiction has been listed for prizes including the Miles Franklin Literary Award, Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Queensland Literary Awards, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and The Stella Prize. Her works include the short fiction collection The House of Youssef and the novels Australiana, The Lovers,Politica and The Theory of Everything. She is the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature.

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