Living on Hope Street

Description

WINNER: 2018 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Young Adult SHORT-LISTED: 2018 Prime Minister's Literary Award, Young Adult Fiction 'Living on Hope Street is a big-hearted, compassionate work. Divaroren is a ferociously good storyteller and every character breathes life, every character convinces. This book is an absolute joy to read.' CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS" We all love someone. We all fear something. Sometimes they live right next door - or even closer. Kane will do everything he can to save his mother and his little brother Sam from the violence of his father, even if it means becoming a monster himself. Mrs Aslan will protect the boys no matter what - even though her own family is in pieces. Ada wants a family she can count on, while she faces new questions about herself. Mr Bailey is afraid of the refugees next door, but his worst fear will take another form. And Gugulethu is just trying to make a life away from terror. On this street, everyone comes from different places, but to find peace they will have to discover what unites them. A deeply moving, unflinching portrait of modern Australian suburban life.

Demet Divaroren is the co-editor of the CBCA short-listed Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia. Demet was born in Adana, Turkey, and migrated to Australia with her family when she was six months old. She teaches creative writing at TAFE and writes fiction and non-fiction exploring life, love and the complexities of human emotions.

'Where do you begin writing a review when a book has had such a profound effect on you, one that you're not expecting? This book, based on modern Australian suburban life, not only enlightens us about the tough issues that many Australian families face, but also shares the heartwarming aspects too... The author has captured each character and brought them to life so vividly that at the end of the book I didn't want to say goodbye, I felt that each one had more stories to share. Living on Hope Street is all about diversity, stereotypes, friendships across cultures, about what is happening behind doors that is being "seen" but people are choosing to ignore. A voice has been given to the Australian people from many cultures, both those misunderstood and those accepted. I without a doubt recommend this book...' Little Big Reads 29 May 2017