Together We Fall Apart

Shortlisted for the Readings New Australian Fiction Prize 2025

A stunning debut novel from a bright new voice in Australian fiction in this deeply affecting portrait of a dysfunctional family.

For the past seven years, Clare has been living in London. She works for a judge on child protection cases. Her partner, Miriam, is devoted to raising their young son, Rupert; their days are dominated by nap times, laundry, and hiding from each other.

When Clare returns to Melbourne to visit her ailing father, another family crisis looms: her brother Max's long-term drug addiction. She turns her efforts towards helping Max into rehab, but is this at the expense of her family back in London?

Moving, heartbreaking and insightful, Together We Fall Apart is a beautifully written novel about running away and coming home.