Floundering

Read Romy Ash's interview with Tony Birch about Floundering.

Tom and Jordy have been living with their gran since the day their mother, Loretta, left them on her doorstep and disappeared.

Now Loretta’s returned, and she wants her boys back.

Tom and Jordy hit the road with Loretta in her beat-up car. The family of three journeys across the country, squabbling, bonding, searching and reconnecting.

But Loretta isn’t mother material. She’s broke, unreliable, lost. And there’s something else that’s not quite right with this reunion.

They reach the west coast and take refuge in a beachside caravan park. Their neighbour, a surly old man, warns the kids tostay away. But when Loretta disappears again the boys have no choice but to askthe old man for help, and now they face new threats and new fears.

This beautifully written and gripping debut is as moving as it is frightening, and as heartbreaking as it is tender.

‘Suspenseful, tough and moving, this book had to be written. I can see the film already.’ Robert Drewe

‘Ash writes with a child’s voice that is utterly convincing, cast adrift in a world you will sorrowfully recognise at once as the one we all share. These boys are so real, you will lie awake worrying about them, hoping that somehow they will find their way through it.’ Cate Kennedy

‘Ash’s novel deftly captures the fading innocence of a boy who witnesses more than he understands; what he leaves unsaid is as revealing as what he articulates. Floundering blends spare but elegant prose with a gripping plot and an assured sense of place. It’s an impressive first novel that heralds the arrival of a talented new voice in Australian literary fiction. 4 stars.‘ Bookseller & Publisher

‘Romy Ash’s talent as writer is obvious from the novel’s opening pages. Her debut novel is perfectly precise and devastatingly amazing. The plight of Tom and Jordy will break your heart but you will stick by them until the end.’ Bite the Book

‘The writing in Floundering is impressive. The voice of the young narrator rings consistent and true, the characters feel honestly portrayed, and the countryside and unrelenting heat are depicted so clearly that they almost become supporting characters, shaping the story as strongly as any person.’ Australian Book Review