House of Sticks
Peggy Frew
‘Peggy Frew’s crystalline eye observes the shoreline of domestic life … Helen Garner meets Henry James in this suburban gothic, where innocence can turn to menace in a moment, love to resentment, and trust to prickling suspicion.’
Kate Veitch
Bonnie has given up her life as a musician to become a stay-at-home mum. 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.
Then an old mate of Pete’s arrives. Doug is eccentric and intrusive, and 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.
House of Sticks is a revealing portrait of contemporary family life, its joys and compromises, and how quickly things can unravel. It’s about trying to stay connected in our disconnected society; a story of identity and community, loyalty and love.
Reviews
‘Brilliant. Peggy Frew is a superb writer, and this is a remarkably confident debut.’
Clare Bowditch
Peggy Frew ‘shows real talent in her debut novel, which is sophisticated and extremely well written … Readers of all ages will enjoy Frew’s engaging prose.’ FOUR STARS
Bookseller & Publisher magazine
» All reviews for this titleA ‘ fascinating debut novel.’
AFR magazine
