Writing Disability in Australia
| Type of disability | Depression. |
| Type of character | Secondary. |
| Point of view | First person. |
The Piper's Son
Camberwell
:
Penguin
,
2010
Z1644674
2010
single work
novel
young adult
(taught in 1 units)
'Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.
'But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.
'And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.'
Source: Melina Marchetta's website, http://www.melinamarchetta.com.au/
Sighted: 09/11/2009
The article details Marchetta's approach to writing through a discussion of Finnikin of the Rock (2008), which she describes as 'a different type of book' than Alibrandi and Jellicoe Road. A fantasy quest that involves '...a coming together of disparate settings, memories and concerns' (5), Marchetta claims the book is fundamentally about '...loss of homeland, loss of language and...loss of identity' (6).
The article includes some facts about the author and a plot outline of Finnikin, which describes the narrative as 'long and twisting ... with characters whose actions can't always be anticipated (6).
