‘It is a fabulous book ... It lives on ...What I really loved was the changing seasons of all the characters, their inner beings, their outer beings, their strengths.’
Drusilla Modjeska
‘In her latest novel, [Andrea Goldsmith] tackles the idea and experience of exile from a surprising perspective.’
Jane Sullivan, The Saturday Age
‘Goldsmith writes powerfully about art, love, exile and being true to oneself.’
Nicole Abadee, Sydney Morning Herald
‘Absorbing interior monologues, the convincing details of place and texture, the feel of the weather, all inserted into a larger, meticulously researched historical or ideological background ... The freshest, most impressive quality of Invented Lives is the ease with which Goldsmith quietly rescues narratives of immigration and boy-meets-girl from cliche and convention.’
Judith Armstrong, Weekend Australian
‘Her fiction shows characters living deeply, and in Invented Lives, her eighth novel, she does this with the level of skill we have come to expect ... Invented Lives is a novel bursting with references to books, writers and real letters with stamps, and features the famous noticeboard at Readings in Carlton. Goldsmith has always been excellent at conjuring place, and this Melbourne sparkles ... Goldsmith understands that a great deal of personal history is laced with tragedy, and accordingly she has managed, once again, to write a unique story that feels universal.’
Louise Swinn, Sydney Morning Herald
‘This is a multi-layered story of a young Russian immigrant who introduces us to a host of Australian characters on her journey from the Soviet Union to Melbourne in the 1980s. True to expectations, the book offers a social and cultural travel guide through the era and its enormous changes. However, it is the Melbourne setting that will resonate with most readers ... A fascinating eye-opener for many readers.’
Karina Barrymore, Herald Sun
‘[A] complex and nuanced book … Goldsmith’s novel shows careful research in its evocations of time and place … a thoughtful novel.’
Andrew Fuhrmann, The Saturday Paper
‘This is a compassionate and thoughtful depiction of one aspect of multicultural Australia … Invented Lives will appeal to fans of Australian literary fiction for its depiction of rich inner lives, and the conflict between desire and reality.’
Louise Omer, Books+Publishing
‘Goldsmith is a masterful storyteller who explores the complex themes of identity and love in her latest novel. Invented Lives deserves a wide audience.’
Mark Rubbo, Readings
‘I liked Invented Lives a lot. It continually held my attention in a way that made me reflect on both my life and the contemporary world. Goldsmith’s writing is extremely assured. The logic of her narrative is impeccable, moving the reader back and forth in a seamless manner. Her characters are authentic (their speech and thoughts are so articulate, perhaps a testament to Goldsmith’s earlier career as a speech pathologist) and her settings very evocative of era and place. Indeed this novel brings home how much has changed in the last three decades, particularly the pace of life and the passing of the analogue age. And Victorian readers will surely reminisce about what a lovely city Melbourne was (and remains).’
Geoffrey Zygier, J–Wire
‘Invented Lives is seamless historical fiction with attention to detail. It is a heartfelt and human story of exile, love and self-expression, all hypnotically captured by Goldsmith’s flare as a wordsmith … the work’s greatest feature, what truly sets it apart, is its evocative and emotive character construction. Each character is achingly … Goldsmith’s work is unforgettable, literary and beautiful, and profoundly resonates into modern life.’
Mel O’Connor, Echo
‘Although set largely in Australia, the difficulties all emigrants experience could easily be set in New Zealand, making this book salutary for us all.’
Felicity Price, Sunday Star Times
‘Goldsmith’s accounts of Galina’s lonely struggles as she tries to find her amputated, landmarkless self in her new setting are wonderfully empathetic and nuanced, and allow for some penetrating comments on Australian attitudes.’
Katharine England, Adelaide Advertiser
‘An engrossing read that melds genres and nations.’
Jill Nicholas, Daily Post
