Loveland

Book excerpt: Compelling, compassionate and profoundly moving, this new novel by the acclaimed author of The Everlasting Sunday confirms Robert Lukins as one of our finest writers. Two women stand in the shallows, a man dead at their feet, while around them buildings burn. Amid the ruins of a fire-ravaged amusement park and destroyed waterfront dwellings, one boarded-up building still stands. May has come from Australia to Loveland, Nebraska, to claim the house on the poisoned lake as part of her grandmother's will. Escaping the control of her husband, will she find refuge or danger? As she starts repairing the old house, May is drawn to discover more about her silent, emotionally distant grandmother and unravel the secrets that Casey had moved halfway around the world to keep hidden. How she and Casey's lives interconnect, and the price they both must pay for their courage, is gradually revealed as this mesmerising and lyrical novel unfolds. Compelling, compassionate and profoundly moving, this new novel by the acclaimed author of The Everlasting Sunday confirms Robert Lukins as one of our finest writers. 'Gripping, insightful and absolutely searing.' -Emily Maguire, author of Love Objects 'A book of such tenderness and precision: it is radiant.' -Stephanie Bishop, author of Man Out of Time 'Heartbreaking in its emotional reach.' -Gail Jones, author of Our Shadows 'A novel that is as gloriously satisfying as it is achingly beautiful. A must-read.' -Paige Clark, author of She Is Haunted 'It takes a masterful writer to tell an ugly story so beautifully. I couldn't stop reading it.' -Allee Richards, author of Small Joys of Real Life