The Strays by Emily Bitto

For readers of Atonement, a powerful and haunting story of three sisters and their friend who grow up on the outskirts of their parents’ glamorous bohemian lifestyle

On her first day at a new school, Lily befriends one of the daughters of infamous avant-garde painter Evan Trentham. In an attempt to escape the stifling conservatism of 1930s Australia, Evan and his wife create a wild, makeshift family of like-minded artists, all living and working together. An only child, Lily becomes infatuated with the Trenthams’ creative chaos and longs to fully belong. But as the years pass, she sees how themes in their art begin to shape real lives, with dire Faustian bargains and spectacular falls from grace. As the girls find themselves drawn closer to the white-hot flame of creativity, emotions and art collide with explosive consequences. And it’s not Evan but his own daughters who may be forced to pay a dangerous price for his choices.

Story Locale: Australia

EMILY BITTO has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she also owns and runs a successful wine bar called Heartattack and Vine.