Too Close To Home

How tenuous the links are that build a life. Too Close To Home takes us right inside who we really are.

Freya writes uncomfortable domestic dramas. Her friends work in theatre and film, show in galleries, talk politics and are trying new ways of having children with friends. These are the people who are slowly gentrifying the next ring of inner-city suburbs while praising their diversity.

As the stultifying heat of summer descends, Shane, an Aboriginal man, moves up the road. He was once close to Matt, Freya's partner, and he not only brings with him a different approach to life, he also has news of a boy who might be Matt's son. Despite wanting to embrace all that Shane represents and the possibility of another child in their life, Freya and Matt stumble, failing each other and their beliefs.

“Too Close to Home, like its inner suburban setting, appears at first to be relaxed and unassuming, but what begins as a gentle undertow increases to unrelenting pressure. Blain is as comfortable with the domestic as she is with the political: whether writing intimacy or broad social tableaux, she is spot on. The atmosphere of Sydney's inner suburbs is beautifully evoked: you can smell the cut grass, hear the dogs barking. In spare effortless prose, Blain weaves a tightening noose of trouble and uncertainty, leaving you haunted long after the final page.” Fiona McGregor

“Georgia Blain has the gift of clarity: in how she sees, and how she writes. After reading this perfectly crafted novel, I felt I was seeing a familiar world with a new set of eyes.” Malcolm Knox

“Set in a shifting political landscape, where moral and ethical values are also blurred, this story of a family's unexpected dilemma resonates deeply. Georgia Blain examines the anxieties of a generation that has had so much, yet still lacks confidence, and trust. Her style is subtle but the story builds up a drama that compels us until the final page. TOO CLOSE TO HOME is almost too close to home: these flawed and fallible characters are people just like us. “ Debra Adelaide

“I finished reading Too Close to Home last night and just wanted to let you both know how much I loved it! What an effortless writer Georgia is and she captures the characters self doubt and fears so well. I felt that I was just observing a group of friends, through a mirror - almost with them, but just on the edge of the circle. I hope this gets widely reviewed. It certainly deserves high praise.” Stef Hoy