{"product_id":"9781460798799_storyland","title":"Storyland","description":"An ambitious, remarkable and moving novel about who we are: our past, present and future, and our connection to this land.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'\u003cem\u003eStoryland\u003c\/em\u003e is a worthy contender for the Great Australian Novel - encompassing, ambitious' \u003cem\u003eReadings\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1796, a young cabin boy, Will Martin, goes on a voyage of discovery in the Tom Thumb with Matthew Flinders and Mr Bass: two men and a boy in a tiny boat on an exploratory journey south from Sydney Cove to the Illawarra, full of hope and dreams, daring and fearfulness. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet on the banks of Lake Illawarra and spanning four centuries, Storyland is a unique and compelling novel of people and place - which tells in essence the story of Australia. Told in an unfurling narrative of interlinking stories, in a style reminiscent of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, McKinnon weaves together the stories of Will Martin together with the stories of four others: a desperate ex-convict, Hawker, who commits an act of terrible brutality; Lola, who in 1900 runs a dairy farm on the Illawarra with her brother and sister, when they come under suspicion for a crime they did not commit; Bel, a young girl who goes on a rafting adventure with her friends in 1998 and is unexpectedly caught up in violent events; and in 2033, Nada, who sees her world start to crumble apart. Intriguingly, all these characters are all connected - not only through the same land and water they inhabit over the decades, but also by tendrils of blood, history, memory and property... \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompelling, thrilling and ambitious, \u003cem\u003eStoryland\u003c\/em\u003e is our story, the story of Australia. 'The land is a book waiting to be read' as one of the characters says - and this novel tells us an unforgettable and unputdownable story of our history, our present and our future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStoryland \u003c\/em\u003ehas been shortlisted for the 2018 Miles Franklin Award, the Barbara Jefferis Award and the Voss Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A beautifully woven story ... a devastating retelling of man's effect on the land and the native people, and offers a chilling insight into what may come to pass with climate change. Storyland is reminiscent of Patrick White's \u003cem\u003eA Fringe of Leaves\u003c\/em\u003e, Kate Grenville's \u003cem\u003eThe Secret River \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eThe Lieutenant ... \u003c\/em\u003eand even, dare I say, a bit of Tim Winton's \u003cem\u003eCloudstreet.' Books+Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e'Impressive ... a haunted and haunting power' \u003cem\u003eThe Australian\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Breathtaking ... simply stunning.' \u003cem\u003eHerald Sun\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This is a book I will return to multiple times, both for its beauty and subtlety and for the sheer pleasure of experiencing the world it reflects.' \u003cem\u003eOtago Daily Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e'It just might be the real story of Australia' \u003cem\u003eQantas Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Catherine McKinnon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46900054589589,"sku":"9781460798799","price":46.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9781460798799_e769a73e-6624-41ed-bcd7-6727ae9af91d.jpg?v=1776888675","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9781460798799_storyland","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}