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The Coast

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( 893 ratings, 109 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
The Coast by Eleanor Limprecht is a gripping historical fiction set in Australia during the early 20th century. The story follows Alice, a young woman diagnosed with leprosy, as she is torn away from her family and sent to live in a remote leper colony. The narrative explores themes of isolation, resilience, and the complex relationship between personal identity and societal stigma.
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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 enjoy this gripping tale set in the early 20th century if you're drawn to stories of resilience and strength in the face of adversity. The narrative beautifully captures the lives of women confined to a leper colony in Australia, exploring themes of isolation, hope, and the power of human connection.

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A stunning novel of love and courage by the bestselling author of The Passengers.

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

Alice is only nine years old in 1910 when she is sent to the feared Coast Hospital lazaret at Little Bay in Sydney, a veritable prison where more patients are admitted than will ever leave. She is told that she's visiting her mother, who disappeared one day when Alice was two. Once there, Alice learns her mother is suffering from leprosy and that she has the same disease.

As she grows up, the secluded refuge of the lazaret becomes Alice's entire world, her mother and the other patients and medical staff her only human contact. The patients have access to a private sandstone-edged beach, their own rowboat, a piano, and a library of books, but Alice is tired of the smallness of her life and is thrilled by the thought of the outside world. It is only when Guy, a Yuwaalaraay man wounded in World War I, arrives at The Coast, that Alice begins to experience what she has yearned for, as they become friends and then something deeper.

Filled with vivid descriptions of the wild beauty of the sea cliffs and beaches surrounding the harsh isolation of the lazaret, and written in evocative prose, The Coast is meticulously researched historical fiction that holds a mirror to the present day. Heartbreaking and soul-lifting, it is a universal story of love, courage, sacrifice, and resilience.

'A compelling story of loss and liberty and the capacity of the human mind to transcend boundaries' - Meg Keneally, author of Fled

'Riveting and heart-wrenching' - Mirandi Riwoe, author of The Burnished Sun

'Few books have touched me so deeply' - Suzanne Leal, author of The Deceptions

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760879402

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 May 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 448g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Eleanor Limprecht was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Germany and Pakistan before moving to Australia in 2002. She is the author of The Passengers (Allen & Unwin, 2018), Long Bay (Sleepers Publishing, 2015) and What Was Left (Sleepers Publishing, 2013, shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal). Her short fiction and essays have been published in various places including Best Australian Stories, Sydney Noir, Griffith Review, Kill Your Darlings and The Big Issue. She's been the recipient of various residencies, scholarships and grants including from the Australia Council, Copyright Agency and the Australian Society of Authors. Eleanor works as a lecturer in Creative Writing at UTS.

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