Resistance

(Paperback)

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Description

As a family therapist, Nina is the ultimate listener. Yet this is of little use with her latest clients, the Agostinos, who have been mandated to see her after stealing a car and disappearing into the outback.

For support with the case, Nina meets with a supervising therapist, Erin. What they unearth in their sessions goes beyond the Agostino story into confronting personal territory for Nina. Meanwhile, despite her efforts, the Agostinos remain unwilling to speakso how can Nina be sure that the two children are safe with their parents

In the tradition of Rachel Cusks Outline trilogy, Resistance is an elegant, hypnotic novel of stories within stories. Examining the unfathomable mysteries within our families, it also questions how we retell our history, both personal and collective.

Reviews

Resistance is thought-provoking on some big issuesmental health care, parenting, motherhood, ageing, gender equality and First Nations historyand will appeal to anyone interested in the human condition with all its fascinating foibles. * Books+Publishing *
Sublime and affecting, a novel that speaks intimately to both mind and heart. * Peggy Frew *
A daring and richly layered novel that examines the unreliability of conscience and memory, and our own invented truths. A compelling read from a masterful storyteller. * Kristina Olsson *
A taut, delicate record of the ultimate act of listening. Halloran exposes both the knowingness and unwillingness of the human psyche. * Jessica Au *
The format is suggestive of Russian Matryoshka dolls, with people and narratives nestled within each other[Resistance] becomes a meditation on storytelling itself. Halloran questions who owns the stories we are told, and examines dominant paradigms regarding colonialism, racism, addiction and loss. * Readings *
A surprising, insightful and layered work of literature that explores family and secrets, and the ethics of mental health care. * Avenue Bookstore *
Resistance is a novel about secrets and shame, as well as the place of women among men in their families. Halloranwrites very elegantly. * Guardian *
Resistance is a meditation on what influences the stories we identify with, willingly or not, and the impact family can have on the myriad roles we come to inhabitThroughout this artfully rendered novel, Halloran interrogates the other stories we may struggle at times to contend with, or even understand. Its a compelling insight into the human condition and on the indelible marks that can be impressed upon us by those closest. * Guardian *
Resistance is a novel precise in its character sketches and proseResistance is to be recommended, for Halloran is always worth reading. * Lucy Sussex, Age/SMH *
[Resistance] goes beyond its simple plot ingredients, to offer a broader view of what it means to be Australian and the importance of recognising a nations history as your ownThroughout these stories and reckonings, the novel interrogates the usefulness of psychology in the face of past trauma.Resistance is a poignant, thoughtful novel with layered meaningsStory is a vehicle for deeper reckoning here as the characters face their own and others resistance. * Conversation *
FascinatingCuriosity is a central tenet to the book, Resistance is very sharply observed[with an] assured sense of pacing. * 3RRR: Literati Glitterati *

Author Bio

Jacinta Halloran is the author of the novels Dissection, shortlisted for the 2007 Victorian Premiers Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript; Pilgrimage, shortlisted for the 2014 Barbara Jefferis Award; and The Science of Appearances. Her new novel, Resistance, will be published in March 2023. She is a former board member of the Stella Prize, and was a GP for many years.