Bugger

Hamoodi may only be ten years old, but he already knows that to speak out is dangerous. Lessons from the motherland have taught him that standing out can see you lose everything. Or disappear. In a new place, he has learned to be quiet, contained. He carries the wisdom and knowledge of his mother and father. They have told him to trust no one - except family.

Alooshi understands first-hand the hurt words can bring. As a teenager, he's learned that knowing how to wound someone gives him power. But words can only give him so much. And when his younger cousin Hamoodi is bullied at school, Alooshi sees a way to get something else he wants.

Over one day and one night, Hamoodi will come to understand how vulnerable he is. He will discover that family is complicated and trust is a cruel weapon. For him, there will always be a before and an after. He will forever struggle to un-know. But maybe, in the knowing, he will find a way to take back his power. Maybe . . .

'Heart-wrenching. Meticulously realised. An expertly crafted novel. It will resonate with readers drawn to emotionally confronting, voice-driven literary fiction, particularly fans of Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain and Anne Enright's The Gathering' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

'Navigates the uneasy bargains of family and faith, and the damage caused when silence is mistaken for safety' BRISBANE TIMES