Blood (Birch novel)

Blood (2011) is a novel by Australian author Tony Birch. It was shortlisted for the 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Blood
AuthorTony Birch
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel
PublisherUniversity of Queensland Press, Australia
Publication date
2011
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages432
ISBN9780702239274

Plot summary

The novel follows a family in crisis, breaking down under the weight of family violence, drugs, lost opportunities and general neglect.

Notes
  • Dedication: For Brian and Debbie - with all my love, for taking my hand.
  • Epigraph:

'Then the boy, me and the boy
we walked for miles through stormy weather
hand in hand, we roamed the land
and held the gleaming heart together.'

Kate Rusby, 'The Bitter Boy'

Bibliography
  • Tony Birch (1 October 2011). Blood. Univ. of Queensland Press. ISBN 978-0-7022-4759-0.

Reviews

Conrad Walters in The Sydney Morning Herald found the novel to build to a compelling last third but was let down a little by a hurried ending.[1] Ed Wright in The Australian considered it an "absorbing and endearing tale of children in adversity".[2]

Awards and nominations
  • 2011 highly commended The Fellowship of Australian Writers Victoria Inc. National Literary Awards — FAW Christina Stead Award
  • 2012 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
  • 2012 finalist Melbourne Prize for Literature — Best Writing Award
  • 2012 winner Melbourne Prize for Literature — Civic Choice Award

References
  1. "The beating of a troubled heart" by Conrad Walters, The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 2011
  2. "The bind of blood ties laid bare in Tony Birch's debut novel" by Ed Wright, The Australian, 7 January 2012
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