Dark Roots: Stories - Hardcover

Kennedy, Cate

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1843546396 ISBN 13: 9781843546399

Publisher: Atlantic Books, 2008

Synopsis

From the strains of a dissolving relationship, to the ripple effect of a chance encounter in an ordinary life, the characters in Cate Kennedy's Dark Roots speak of the hidden motivations that propel us all into action. Kennedy's characters hover at tipping points in their lives, at which an apparently insignificant decision can propel them into an undreamed of future, or mean the power of life and death. In just a few pages, Cate Kennedy captures whole lives with masterful narrative restraint - the regrets, the successes and the unintended ironies. She reveals how relationships can break down either slowly, through the accumulation of grievances, or suddenly, in a rush, with one false step. But she also shows how love for a partner, a child, or even a stranger, can save us. Dark Roots is a bravura collection of stories, by turns heartbreaking, richly comic and, above all, unerringly human.

About this title

Review

'Stunning... incredibly spare and gifted writing. This collection is a joy to read.'
-- Age

...note perfect, ironic, mischevious...I'm still laughing
-- Kate Saunders, The Times

Cate Kennedy's writing is sharp; her details are meaningful but not meandering, her dialogue spot-on and funny but also totally believable, the plot lines dramatic, but so well crafted that your trust never wavers... Kennedy hits the mark from the very first line, nailing the subtleties in tone, details, and dialogue. -- Lucia Silva, Bookbrowse

[Kennedy's] imagistic, minutely observed narratives, and the authenticity of her characters' voices bear all the hallmarks of a well-spent apprenticeship. The best of these stories linger long after reading them, holding up mirrors to the world. -- Sunday Business Post

`Dark Roots announces the arrival of a major talent... Cate Kennedy has a near pitch-perfect voice.' -- Peter Temple, author of The Broken Shore

From the Author

Cate Kennedy is an award-winning writer who has twice won the Age short story competition. 'Cold Snap', which appears in Dark Roots, was published in the New Yorker. She is also the author of the travel memoir Sing and Don't Cry: A Mexican Journal and two poetry collections. She is currently at work on her first novel.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1843546396
• ISBN 13: 9781843546399
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192