Matthew Dunbar, the eldest of five brothers, tells how the boys were raised alone in a Sydney house after their mother's death and their father's disappearance. The story centres on the fourth brother, Clay, who builds a bridge in the backyard. Markus Zusak jumps between the past and the present, showing how their mother, Penny, a pianist from Eastern Europe, met their father Michael, and what happened after she died. The five brothers live in a house with a pet mule, a goldfish, and a lot of fighting and tenderness.
Readers who like family novels with a strong narrative voice and an unusual structure will enjoy it. It is about grief, brotherhood and what it takes to build something with your own hands.
Deep, inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2018
- Language
- EN
