THE BURROW

ROOM FOR A STRANGER

AUSTRALIA DAY

THE BURROW

Big-hearted and moving, Melanie Cheng’s The Burrow brings together a family trying to find their way forward in the wake of a devastating loss. Parents Jin and Amy Lee adopt a rabbit for their daughter Lucie in the hopes of restoring a bit of joy to their home in the Australian suburbs. At first, each family member benefits from the distraction of a new creature in need of care, but things are upended when the arrival of Amy’s estranged mother Pauline breaks their fragile sense of peace. The family is forced to confront the terrible circumstances surrounding the family tragedy, and to ask themselves whether opening their hearts to the rabbit will help them to heal, or only invite further sorrow.

With compassion and eye for detail, Cheng tenderly reveals the lives of others—even of a small rabbit—in an unforgettable novel about grief, hope, and forgiveness.

ROOM FOR A STRANGER

Since her sister died, Meg has been on her own. She doesn’t mind, not really—not with Atticus, her African grey parrot, to keep her company—but after her house is broken into by a knife-wielding intruder, she decides it might be good to have some company after all.

Andy’s father has lost his job, and his parents’ savings are barely enough to cover his tuition. If he wants to graduate, he’ll have to give up his student flat and find a homeshare. Living with an elderly Australian woman is harder than he’d expected though, and soon he’s struggling with more than his studies.

AUSTRALIA DAY

Australia Day is a collection of stories by debut author Melanie Cheng. The people she writes about are young, old, rich, poor, married, widowed, Chinese, Lebanese, Christian, Muslim. What they have in common—no matter where they come from—is the desire we all share to feel that we belong. The stories explore universal themes of love, loss, family and identity, while at the same time asking crucial questions about the possibility of human connection in a globalised world.

Melanie Cheng is an important new voice, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary Australia. Her effortless, unpretentious realism balances an insider’s sensitivity and understanding with an outsider’s clear-eyed objectivity, showing us a version of ourselves richer and more multifaceted than anything we’ve seen before.