OBSERVER: The Campers
Readers who enjoyed Maryrose Cuskelly’s bestselling novel The Cane will be intrigued by her latest book, The Campers.
It is a story that looks at what happens when the concepts of ‘woke’ and ‘not in my backyard’ collide with each other.
Protagonist Leah enjoys her live on The Drove, an inner-city cul-de-sac where the neighbours look out for each other and there is a strong community vibe.
But when itinerants set up camp in the adjacent park, it challenges the well-meaning residents of The Grove.
The Campers was inspired by both the housing crisis and the way well-meaning community groups can flounder and are suddenly not the open supportive community on which they prided themselves.
Living in Melbourne, Cuskelly says that the story is also inspired by an experience in her own past, and that writing the novel caused her to challenge her own thoughts and perspectives.
Filled with humour, The Campers covers some relevant contemporary issues and challenges readers to think how they would behave in the same situation.
The Campers is published by Allen and Unwin – for more details visit www.allenandunwin.com
Julie Houghton