AustLit

'The four walls he had washed and painted twice as a gesture of friendship would have captured, as a mirror would, his frustration at trying to sew on a button, or trying not to scorch a new shirt; his clumsy attempts at cooking dinner with half of the ingredients missing until he trained himself to write a shopping list before going shopping; his relentless learning and relearning of English words; his chores of washing, cleaning, daily bed-making, and weekly changing of the bed sheets. (33) For the reader, the tangible objects in Alfonso's home take center stage: the carrots and potatoes he is cooking for dinner, the cabinets he restores, and the telephone that does not ring.' (Publication abstract)