'A jewel of a novel about a perfect family falling apart' DAVID NICHOLLS 'The Children's Bach is Garner's masterpiece' PUBLIC BOOKS 'A perfect novel. I was so stunned that I wanted to run around the block' RUMAAN ALAM Athena and Dexter Fox are happy. They love each other. They are friends. They live with their young sons in a sparsely furnished house near the Merri Creek: its walls cracking, its floors sloping and its doors hanging loosely in their frames. There is a piano in their kitchen. But then, one day - years after their lives have taken different directions - Dexter runs into Elizabeth, an old friend from his university days. She brings into his world her loose-living musician boyfriend, Philip, and her seventeen-year-old sister, Vicki. And all at once, the bonds that hold the Fox family together begin to fray. Helen Garner's perfectly formed novels embody Melbourne's tumultuous 1970s and 1980s. Drawn on a small canvas and with a subtle musical backdrop, The Children's Bach is a beloved work that weighs the burdens of commitment against the costs of liberation. A W&N Essential
Helen Garner
Helen Garner is an Australian writer known for her raw and honest exploration of human relationships and emotions. She is acclaimed for her ability to capture the complexities of everyday life in a compelling and thought-provoking manner. Some of her most notable works include "Monkey Grip," "The First Stone," and "The Spare Room." Garner's writing style is characterized by its sharpness, clarity, and emotional depth.
She has made significant contributions to Australian literature by addressing controversial and challenging topics such as feminism, sexual harassment, and aging. Garner's work has had a profound impact on the literary genre of contemporary fiction and non-fiction, inspiring and influencing many writers. Her most famous work, "The Spare Room," is a powerful and moving novel that explores the themes of friendship, illness, and mortality with profound insight and sensitivity.
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