Winner of the 2015 Stella Prize, The Strays is an engrossing story of ambition, sacrifice and compromised loyalties from an exciting new talent.
On her first day at a new school, Lily befriends one of the daughters of infamous avant-garde painter Evan Trentham. He and his wife are trying to escape the stifling conservatism of 1930s Australia by inviting other like-minded artists to live and work at their family home. Lily becomes infatuated with this wild, makeshift family and longs to truly be a part of it.
As the years pass, Lily observes the way the lives of these artists come to reflect the same themes as their art: Faustian bargains and spectacular falls from grace. Yet it’s not Evan, but his own daughters, who pay the price for his radicalism.
'Emily Bitto has written a very stylish and enjoyable debut novel.' - The Sunday Mail
'You could lift out any sentence in The Strays and admire the sheer artistry of its melody and composition. Whats especially wonderful about Bittos literary novel is the story never feels weighed down by style. Its an immensely pleasurable read.' - Bookseller + Publisher
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