Thursday's Child

Sonya Hartnett's 'Thursday's Child' is a powerful and lyrical coming-of-age novel set in the harsh landscape of 1930s Great Depression Australia. Narrated by adolescent Harper Flute, the story centers on her family's desperate struggle against poverty and the enigmatic nature of her younger brother, Tin, who possesses an almost magical compulsion to dig tunnels. As Tin becomes increasingly wild and elusive, the family grapples with loss, injustice, and the profound impact of their circumstances. This critically acclaimed book, a winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, explores themes of resilience, family bonds, and the search for identity amidst hardship, with a touch of magical realism that makes it truly unique. It is best suited for mature young adult readers due to its intense themes.

"A startling coming-of-age story. . . . Through Harper, Hartnett captures the humanity of her spirited, slightly eccentric, and then nearly broken characters." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Harper Flute believes that her younger brother Tin, with his uncanny ability to dig, was born to burrow. While their family struggles to survive in a bleak landscape during the Great Depression, the silent and elusive little Tin begins to tunnel beneath their tiny shanty. As time passes, Tin becomes a wild thing, leaving his family further and further behind. Sonya Hartnett tells a breathtakingly original coming-of-age story through the clear eyes of an observant child, with exquisite prose, richly drawn characters, and a touch of magical realism.