House of Sticks

In this story of identity, community, loyalty, and love, Bonnie has given up her life as a musician to become a stay-at-home mom. She tells herself she has no regrets, but sometimes the isolation and the relentless demands of three small children threaten to swamp the love between Bonnie and her partner, Pete. When Pete’s eccentric and intrusive friend Doug arrives, his unsettling presence disrupts Bonnie’s world further. Yet as the cracks really start to show in the life Bonnie and Pete have built together, it seems the dangers might also come from within. This novel is a revealing portrait of contemporary family life, its joys and compromises, trying to stay connected in our disconnected society, and how quickly things can unravel.

Peggy Frew is the author of Home Visit, the recipient of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and the winner of the Age newspaper’s short story competition.