Trent Dalton’s Latest Novel Is All Heart. And It Won Me Over.
BOOKS
BY LAURA BRADING
I suspect I’m not Trent Dalton’s ideal reader. I loathe sentimentality. I skim over most adventure scenes in books on account of my disinterest (but give me a character’s musings on their breakfast and I’m deeply invested). And there’s also the fact that 95% of the time, it seems I only read novels by women.
And yet, somehow, Dalton’s books—with their huge hearts, abundant optimism, and down-and-out characters—win me over every time. It tends to take about 100 pages and several eyerolls at some of the more mawkish moments, but then, suddenly, bang, I’m hooked. I read furiously, pausing only to gasp or sob or google a Brisbane reference. I don’t skip a word.
Inspired by stories he encountered in his 17 years as a Walkley Award-winning journalist in Brisbane, Dalton writes in his author’s note: “some of these events involve violence, addiction and self-harm, which some readers may find distressing. Those same people I met in the street also spoke of community, hope and love, and that’s why I wrote this book.”
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Read the full review at PRIMER.
READ IT HERE
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