Slow Burn

The world is in an unprecedented period of change. The Slow Burn traces two families from two nations, facing different existential threats to their physical and economic survival. Over 25 years, changes in climate and technology determine the lives of the characters, revealing the future is already here. In 2020, fifteen-year-old Max, his parents and siblings prepare to harvest a bumper crop in the mid-North of South Australia. The untimely death of his father in a fire leaves the family to contemplate life away from the farm. Meanwhile, Laeli, her mother, father and brother face the serious peril of sea level rise in the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu. The location of the story switches between Tuvalu and Australia until the lives of Max and Laeli intersect. By this time, the people of Tuvalu have resettled in Australia. Max is managing a mango farm in Queensland, where Laeli works. As their lives entwine, and a new generation arrives, the novel concludes with Max and Laeli making a life defining decision.