Past the Shallows

by Favel Parrett

Shortlisted for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award, PAST THE SHALLOWS is a powerful and hauntingly beautiful novel from an extraordinary new Australian writer who is compared with Cormac McCarthy and Tim Winton.

'If you read only one book this year, make sure it's this' Sunday Times
'I loved Past the Shallows' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds

Everyone loves Harry. Except his father.

Joe, Miles and Harry are growing up on the remote south coast of Tasmania. The brothers' lives are shaped by their father's moods - like the ocean he fishes, he is wild and unpredictable. He is a bitter man, with a devastating secret.

Miles does his best to watch out for Harry, the youngest, but he can't be there all the time. Often alone, Harry finds joy in the small treasures he discovers, in shark eggs and cuttlefish bones. In a kelpie pup, a mug of hot chocolate, and a secret friendship with a mysterious neighbour.

But sometimes small treasures, or a brother's love are not enough.

• ISBN13: 9780733627705
• Publish Date: 27 April 2011
• Publish Status: Withdrawn
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: Hachette Australia
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

Favel Parrett’s debut novel is at times gut wrenching and shocking but I never went away from this book feeling like I had just read something interesting. It all felt way too familiar and that left me wanting to read something new and maybe unpredictable. I adored the writing style in Past the Shallows, it was almost poetic and it just pushed me through this book with such ease; even in the parts of the book I wasn’t enjoying.

Full review here; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/04/20/book-review-past-the-shallows/

My live tweeting of ths book can be seen here; http://sfy.co/pJq