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y separately published work icon The Deceptions single work   novel  
Issue Details: First known date: 2020... 2020 The Deceptions
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'In 1943, a young woman is taken to a Jewish ghetto outside Prague where one of the guards - a Czech gendarme - is quickly drawn to her. Believing he will offer her protection, Hana reluctantly accepts Karel's advances only to find herself alone and abandoned in Auschwitz. Decades later, Karel carries his regrets to Sydney where he and his family try to make a new life for themselves.

'Despite her devotion to the family, Karel's wife is a troubled woman, haunted by a secret that will not leave her as the consequences of her actions as a young woman continue to reverberate both within her family and further afield. Meanwhile, the couple's daughter is still reeling from her husband's infidelities as, unbeknownst to any of them, their cherished granddaughter becomes more and more entangled with her married boss.

'Outwardly harmonious, this is a fractured family whose lives are built on foundations of lies and deceptions - foundations that threaten to completely collapse as old transgressions re-emerge in the lead up to a long-awaited family wedding. Inspired by a true story of wartime betrayal, The Deceptions is a searing, compassionate tale of love and regret within a family whose secrets might better be left alone.' (Publication summary)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2020 .
      image of person or book cover 9021138840765018597.jpg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Extent: 288p.
      Note/s:
      • Published March 2020
      ISBN: 9781760875275

Other Formats

  • Dyslexic edition.
  • Large print.
  • Braille.

Works about this Work

Suzanne Leal : The Deceptions Jessica Stewart , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2021;

— Review of The Deceptions Suzanne Leal , 2020 single work novel

'The deceptions in Suzanne Leal’s third novel span World War II Czechoslovakia and the Holocaust to present-day Sydney.' 

Secrets, Lies and Survival Diane Stubbings , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 25 April 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of The Deceptions Suzanne Leal , 2020 single work novel

'Suzanne Leal’s new novel, The Deceptions, asks a difficult question. Is it necessary to always tell the truth, or is deceit sometimes the better strategy?'

Secrets, Lies and Survival Diane Stubbings , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 25 April 2020; (p. 16)

— Review of The Deceptions Suzanne Leal , 2020 single work novel

'Suzanne Leal’s new novel, The Deceptions, asks a difficult question. Is it necessary to always tell the truth, or is deceit sometimes the better strategy?'

Suzanne Leal : The Deceptions Jessica Stewart , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2021;

— Review of The Deceptions Suzanne Leal , 2020 single work novel

'The deceptions in Suzanne Leal’s third novel span World War II Czechoslovakia and the Holocaust to present-day Sydney.' 

Last amended 26 Jul 2021 14:26:25
Settings:
  • Prague,
    c
    Czech Republic,
    c
    Eastern Europe, Europe,
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau, Occupied Poland (1939-1945),
    c
    Poland,
    c
    Eastern Europe, Europe,
  • Sydney, New South Wales,
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