Summerland A Novel

They were society's golden ones, endowed with the privileges of youth and wealth, bred to live in a world of limitless possibility, but none of this could save them from self-destruction. Richard sits on the shores of Sydney Harbour, a hollowed out man remembering a lost paradise as he recounts the years he shared with his best friend, the charismatic heir Hugh Bowman. Gliding through a life of endless luxury and ease, they formed a charmed quartet with their childhood sweethearts, Helen and Pup. As adults they married and continued their tradition of summer holidays at Palm Beach, giving every appearance of leading charmed and immaculate lives. Like those beautiful people in magazines, their skin was unblemished, their smiles dazzling, the lighting just so. But as Richard confronts his memories what seemed so idyllic is revealed as a sinister drama of secrets, lies and betrayals. A masterful and compelling dissection of friendship, morality and society from a startling new talent.

Malcolm Knox was born in Australia in 1966. He lives in Sydney, where he has written for the Sydney Morning Herald since 1994. His journalism has been published in Australia, Britain, India, and the West Indies. Summerland is his first novel.

“Summerland is a remarkable debut. It’s a love story of an unusual sort, the sad tale of an otherwise intelligent man in love with the ruling class. Much like Stevens, the devoted butler in ‘The Remains of the Day,’ Richard has adopted the elite’s values and lost his soul.” —Newsday

“Astoundingly accomplished....His clear-eyed wisdom and startling, depth-charged prose constitute a novel that should become as much of a classic as the one [The Good Soldier] he has remoulded.” —The Guardian