 The Dreams
of Zoo Animals
AUTHOR: Valmai Howe ISBN: 0921833083
Shortlisted for the QSPELL Fiction Award, The Dreams of Zoo Animals is a novel carved out of the wilds of Australia in the 1960s, a novel of friendship, love, discovery and disillusion. Sarah Ashton is a powerful and engaging heroine, reminding us of the strength possessed by women who have grown up in houses "built by convicts" on the continent down under.
REVIEWS: "The Dreams of Zoo Animals is a potent, well-observed story about the routes we have to follow to find our way out of the zoos that hold us captive. It offers an intriguing glimpse of the Australian psyche and a thoughtful variation on the familiar theme of youthful rites of passage." —Quill & Quire "The Dreams of Zoo Animals is a powerful coming-of-age story, expertly crafted and fascinating in its details, and the narrative voice of Sarah Ashton is both haunting and convincing. An enchanting novel, animated by Howe's scrupulously attuned eye and ear. One looks forward to her future work as she hones her impressive talents." —Publisher's Weekly "One of those novels which comes along occasionally to startle and unsettle readers, and to challenge their perceptions about literature. This novel has the intense focus and suppressed power of Virginia Woolf's early writing." —Canadian Literature "Compelling!" —Los Angeles Times "Artfully structured and affecting." —The Washington Post "Wombats, cigar-store
Hitlers, nudists taking tea, the hierarchical arrangements of hospital
and hotel, Valmai Howe describes them with a knowing eye. Rich and variegated,
there's balance, wit and compassion throughout." Other
Signature titles by Valmai Howe:
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QSPELL
AWARD FINALIST
ABOUT THE BOOK: