'Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home. They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change. When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets. Will opening their hearts to the rabbit help them to heal or only invite further tragedy?
'The Burrow tells an unforgettable story about grief and hope. With her characteristic compassion and eye for detail, Melanie Cheng reveals the lives of others—even of a small rabbit.' (Publication summary)
'The arrival of a pet rabbit proves confronting as well as comforting for the fractured family in Melanie Cheng’s second novel.'
'In Kafka’s unfinished story ‘The Burrow’, a badger-like creature recounts its increasingly paranoid efforts to defend its home against invasion. In Melanie Cheng’s novel of the same name, disaster has already invaded the home with the sudden death of six-month-old Ruby. Four years on, Jin, Amy and their remaining daughter, Lucie, persist in a holding pattern of barely suppressed grief. Their estrangement is reflected in the fractured structure of the novel, in which the task of narration passes, moment to moment, from one family member to another, producing an elaborate mosaic of secrets and facades.' (Introduction)
'Show Your Working is a regular column exploring how writers get things done. In this instalment, we peek into the writing routine of award-winning author Melanie Cheng. Her latest novel, The Burrow, is out now. '
'The arrival of a pet rabbit proves confronting as well as comforting for the fractured family in Melanie Cheng’s second novel.'
'In Kafka’s unfinished story ‘The Burrow’, a badger-like creature recounts its increasingly paranoid efforts to defend its home against invasion. In Melanie Cheng’s novel of the same name, disaster has already invaded the home with the sudden death of six-month-old Ruby. Four years on, Jin, Amy and their remaining daughter, Lucie, persist in a holding pattern of barely suppressed grief. Their estrangement is reflected in the fractured structure of the novel, in which the task of narration passes, moment to moment, from one family member to another, producing an elaborate mosaic of secrets and facades.' (Introduction)
Melanie Cheng, Superstitious Doctor
Michael Williams
(interviewer),
2024
28898307
2024
single work
podcast
interview
'Melanie Cheng began her writing career as an author of short stories. Her first collection, Australia Day, was published in 2017 to much acclaim. Her second novel, The Burrow, follows a Melbourne family forced to confront the tragedy of their shared past. This week, Michael sits down for a conversation with Melanie about family, connection, and the power of narrative medicine.' (Production summary)
'Show Your Working is a regular column exploring how writers get things done. In this instalment, we peek into the writing routine of award-winning author Melanie Cheng. Her latest novel, The Burrow, is out now. '
