What the Family Needed
Published on 7. November 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-0-09-956593-2 (ISBN)
Description
'Okay, tell me which do you want: to be able to fly or to be invisible?'
This question leads to thirty years of discoveries, extraordinary strengths and closely guarded secrets.
'To tell you the narrative concens a family whose members have superpowers is only to graze the surface of a moving and beautifully realised meditation on what it is to be an ordinary human being'
Australian
'A wonderful novel: imaginative, intelligent, empathetic... Like a cross between The Corrections and The Slap'
Sydney Morning Herald
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2012 ENCORE AWARD
This question leads to thirty years of discoveries, extraordinary strengths and closely guarded secrets.
'To tell you the narrative concens a family whose members have superpowers is only to graze the surface of a moving and beautifully realised meditation on what it is to be an ordinary human being'
Australian
'A wonderful novel: imaginative, intelligent, empathetic... Like a cross between The Corrections and The Slap'
Sydney Morning Herald
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2012 ENCORE AWARD
Reviews / Votes
A gem of a book...hugely entertaining and also quite moving -- Thomas Quinn * Big Issue * Enjoyable -- Ben East * Observer * Wry, deeply moving and literally magical * Chloe Hooper * Amsterdam is consistently playful, witty and light of touch * Times Literary Supplement * A wonderful novel: imaginative, intelligent, empathetic...like a cross between The Corrections and The Slap * Sydney Morning Herald * Brilliant, unexpected, wide-ranging and deeply moving, the story of one family's extraordinary - and sometimes otherworldly - negotiation of the very real hazards of life -- Maile Meloy, author of 'Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It' Every now and then, a novel arrives that conveys not only wisdom and understanding but also offers a dose of magic...a remarkable story, full of imagination and fun * Courier Mail * A lovely book, one that manages to surprise, and that seduces you into believing absolutely in this magical world * Canberra Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
208 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-956593-2 (9780099565932)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Steven Amsterdam
What the Family Needed
E-Book
08/2012
1st Edition
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Steven Amsterdam was born in New York and has worked as a map editor, producer's assistant, and a pastry chef. He has lived in Melbourne, Australia since 2003, where he works as a writer and palliative care nurse. His debut novel, Things We Didn't See Coming, won The Age Book of the Year in Australia and was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.