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It is hypnotic, nuanced and Amanda Lohrey's finest offering yet - a pilgrim's progress for the here and now.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eShortlisted, 2015 Queensland Literary Awards\u003cbr\u003e\nShortlisted, 2015 Tasmanian Premier's Literary Prizes\u003cbr\u003e\nLonglisted, 2016 Stella Prize\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘Lohrey’s language throughout the novel is a searing delight … Without patronising, disparaging or becoming a sentimental accomplice, she gets inside the head of a serious man congenitally on the brink.’ \u003ci\u003e—Age\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘The nature of such mystical questing requires a steadiness of pace and a commanding style in order to prevent it floating up and away into the unfathomable … Lohrey’s skill is in keeping us suspended in the cocoon of an idea – “Is this all there is?’ – a question that hums in and out of our own lives during the day, but which can suddenly ring out on dark nights with a deafening thunder.’ \u003ci\u003e—Saturday Paper\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘[A] lyrical, bold exploration’ \u003ci\u003e—Australian Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nAmanda Lohrey is the author of the acclaimed novels \u003ci\u003eCamille’s Bread, Vertigo\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Morality of Gentlemen\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the award-winning short story collection \u003ci\u003eReading Madame Bovary\u003c\/i\u003e. 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Their mother is ill, and has only a few months to live. Confused and conflicted, Natasha returns to the home she fled many years before. But her father, an evangelical Christian, has not changed –he is still the domineering yet magnetic man she ran from, and her sisters and mother are still in his thrall.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eOne night her father makes an astonishing announcement: he has received a message from God that his wife is to be healed, and they must hold a party to celebrate. As Natasha and her sisters prepare for the big event – and the miracle – she struggles to reconcile her family's faith with her sense that they are pretending. Is she a traitor or the only one who can see the truth? And what use is truth anyway, in the face of death?\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Healing Party\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis a unique and compelling portrait of the deep complexities of family connection.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eShortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e'A compelling portrait of religious zealotry but also of true goodness. 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Horrifying and wonderful.' —David Marr\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e'Incredibly gripping, highly recommended' —Leigh Sales \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40422266011783,"sku":"9781760644857","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/9781760644857.jpg?v=1678064413"},{"product_id":"dont-forget-to-smile-by-ariane-beeston-preorder","title":"Don't Forget to Smile by Ariane Beeston (PREORDER)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClara\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has been dancing since she was three and knows exactly what she wants: a place at the Australian National Ballet School and a career as a principal dancer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eElle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who accidentally found herself TikTok famous after a #balletfail went viral, is new to the dance world, horrified at how racist, sexist and classist it is, and thinks ballet needs to grand jeté itself into the twenty-first century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Elle's best friend, just wants to be able to dance en pointe and have his pick of both male and female solos.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClara thinks Elle is a bit much. 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