The Lost Dog
Michelle de Kretser

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synopsis

Tom Loxley is holed up in a remote cottage in the bush, trying to finish his book on Henry James, when his dog goes missing, trailing a length of orange twine tied with firm knots. The house belongs to Nelly Zhang, an elusive artist with whom Tom has become enthralled.

The novel loops back and forth in time from an Anglo-Indian childhood to the brittle contemporary Melbourne art scene, from Tom’s scratchy, poignant relationship with his ailing mother, to the unanswered puzzles of Nelly’s past.

Michelle de Kretser

The Hamilton Case, Michelle de Kretser's last novel, won the Encore Award and a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Her first novel, The Rose Grower, was published in 1999. Born in Colombo in Sri Lanka, she migrated with her family to Australia when she was fourteen. She has taught English at the University of Melbourne, as well as working as an editor and book reviewer and now lives in Melbourne.