Book Review - In The Garden of the Fugitives by Ceridwen Dovey

It was with great excitement that I picked up In the Garden of Fugitives (Hamish Hamilton, $33) by Australian author Ceridwen Dovey as I adored her short story collection Only the Animals.
I wasn't disappointed.

In the Garden of Fugitives is a story that encompasses the big stuff - history, humanity, art, love, power, race, belonging - and it is a witty, compelling and thought-provoking read.
The book unfolds as correspondence between the much older and failing Royce and his one-time protege, Vita at a time of reflection for both of them.
The frisson between the characters is bound up in the disappointment of their desires - a one-sided love affair for Royce and a sense of belonging for Vita - and by their obsessive natures.
The consequence of money and the power it wields (no matter what your endeavour) is subtly explored as it underpins many of the relationships in the book.
However, Vita's foray into psychoanalysis left me with no doubt that the true aim of this book was to explore the human agenda for telling stories.  What do we leave behind when mountains fall on us and violence forces us to move half way around the world or to become silent?  How can we truly belong when we build our lives on lies?
Dovey's answers to these questions are poignant and beautifully crafted and will have you pondering them long after you have finished reading.  At least I hope they will.


I know I haven't given much away about the details of this wonderful book.  And it is interesting to wonder how much of this book is based on the author's own experiences.
Find out more by listening to this great interview with Ceridwen Dovey from RN's The Hub on Books.





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