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'Hauntingly beautiful and told with remarkable clarity, Over the Water is the story of an Australian outsider who finds teaching work in Bandung, a city in Java. Seduced by the sights, sounds, and magic of Indonesia, Joe finds himself unwittingly drawn into the lives of three women. Firstly he rents a room in fellow teacher Lisa's house, and discovers that she has a small harem of Indonesian boys living with her. Then there is Danu, a Javanese beauty, who says she is trying to escape an arranged marriage. Danu and Joe find common ground in seeking aspects of themselves 'over the water' - for Danu this means the West, for Joe it means the East.
'Joe also feels a connection with Babette, a reclusive English woman who lives in a crumbling Dutch villa. She is an old friend of Joe's elder brother, Emile, who once lived in Bandung. Her relationship with Emile has long ceased, but Joe makes a remarkable discovery. As Over the Water unfolds, Joe discovers that his identity is not only fragile, it is disturbingly arbitrary. Based at least in part on the author's experiences of living in Indonesia, this compelling debut is the quintessential novel about East and West, and how our dreams manifest themselves.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Dedication: For Mary and David Lane
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Australian Fiction
2014
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 6-7 December 2014; (p. 18)
— Review of Game Day 2014 single work novel ; The Family Men 2014 single work novel ; Over the Water 2014 single work novel ; Mothers and Daughters 2014 single work novel -
Up Close : The Elusive Islands
2014
single work
column
— Appears in: Good Reading , August 2014; (p. 34-35)
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Australian Fiction
2014
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 6-7 December 2014; (p. 18)
— Review of Game Day 2014 single work novel ; The Family Men 2014 single work novel ; Over the Water 2014 single work novel ; Mothers and Daughters 2014 single work novel -
Up Close : The Elusive Islands
2014
single work
column
— Appears in: Good Reading , August 2014; (p. 34-35)