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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Gin, the albino, marries to escape the confines of an asylum. Toad, a little man who wears corsets, marries to prove his manhood. Together they are freaks - feared and ridiculed by the remote farming community in which they live. Into their lives come two Italian POWs bringing music, sensuality and a love that will fan the flames of small town bigotry.' (From the publisher's website.)
Adaptations
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The Paperbark Shoe
2013
single work
drama
'Adapted from the novel by Goldie Goldbloom, Gin, a refined albino woman, marries to escape the confines of an asylum. Toad, a collector of ladies corsetry, marries to prove his manhood. Together they are freaks - feared and ridiculed by the local townspeople. Into their lives come two Italian POWs bringing music, sensuality and a love that will fan the flames of small town bigotry.
Set during World War II in a remote West Australian farming community, this new Australian drama features a cast of brilliantly eccentric and unforgettable characters and is a richly rewarding and powerful love 'quadrangle' story by one of WA's leading playwrights, Hellie Turner.' (Source: http://www.pwa.org.au/the-paperbark-shoe/)
Notes
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Dedication: To my mother, who first told me about Joan and Anthony and the Italians.
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Epigraph: In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. Jose Jarosky
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Includes author's note pp 283-285.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Large print.
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
This Week You're Reading
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 16 July 2011; (p. 21)
— Review of The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
The Year's Work in Fiction: 2009-2010
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: Westerly , July vol. 55 no. 1 2010; (p. 119-139)
— Review of Fear Factor : Terror Incognito 2009 anthology short story extract ; A True History of the Hula Hoop 2009 single work novel ; The World Beneath 2009 single work novel ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel ; Swimming : A Novel 2004 single work novel ; The Bath Fugues 2009 selected work novella ; The Lost Life 2009 single work novel ; Rainforest Narratives : The Work of Janette Turner Hospital 2009 single work criticism ; Brian Castro's Fiction : The Seductive Play of Language 2008 multi chapter work criticism ; Legacy 2009 single work novel ; The Nature of Ice 2009 single work novel ; Lovesong 2009 single work novel ; Wonders of a Godless World 2009 single work novel ; Smoke in the Room 2009 single work novel ; The Australian Long Story 2009 anthology short story prose novella autobiography ; Every Secret Thing 2008 selected work short story ; Arrhythmia : Stories of Desire 2009 selected work short story ; The China Garden 2009 single work novel ; Barley Patch 2009 single work novel ; Tom Hurstbourne, or, A Squatter's Life 2010 single work novel ; Truth 2009 single work novel ; The Window Seat and Other Stories 2009 selected work short story ; Headlong : A Novel 2009 single work novel ; The Legacy 2010 single work novel -
Review : Arrythmia, The Paperbark Shoe
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: Indigo , Summer no. 5 2010; (p. 122-124)
— Review of Arrhythmia : Stories of Desire 2009 selected work short story ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
Summer Sizzlers
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 19 December 2009; (p. 12-14)
— Review of Red Queen 2008 single work novel ; Siddon Rock 2005 single work novel ; We Don't Live Here Anymore 2009 single work novel ; Brown Skin Blue 2009 single work novel ; The Devil's Staircase 2009 single work novel ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel ; The Book of Rapture 2009 single work novel ; Jasper Jones 2009 single work novel ; The Essence of the Thing 1997 single work novel ; The Women in Black 1993 single work novel ; The Lost Life 2009 single work novel Ian Nichols nominates a selection of titles for Summer reading over the 2009-2010 holiday period, including works by Australian writers. -
Looking for Love in Plain Sight
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Review , November vol. 4 no. 10 2009; (p. 24-25)
— Review of Swimming : A Novel 2004 single work novel ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel ; 88 Lines About 44 Women 2009 single work novel ; Smoke in the Room 2009 single work novel
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Off the Shelf : First Fiction
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 3 October 2009; (p. 28)
— Review of The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
Books
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 10 October 2009; (p. 20)
— Review of Wonders of a Godless World 2009 single work novel ; King of the Cross 2009 single work novel ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
Pick of the Week
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 7-8 November 2009; (p. 30)
— Review of The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
[Review] The Paperbark Shoe
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , September vol. 89 no. 2 2009; (p. 27)
— Review of The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel -
Looking for Love in Plain Sight
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Review , November vol. 4 no. 10 2009; (p. 24-25)
— Review of Swimming : A Novel 2004 single work novel ; The Paperbark Shoe 2009 single work novel ; 88 Lines About 44 Women 2009 single work novel ; Smoke in the Room 2009 single work novel
Awards
- 2008 winner USA Association of Writers and Writing Programs Awards — Novel Award Award won under the 2010 US publication title, Toads' Museum of Freaks and Wonders
Last amended 8 Jun 2021 12:36:11
Settings:
- Country towns,
- Western Australia,
- 1940s
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