Our February OzLit pick mixes the personal with the political on the international stage with The Idealist by Nicholas Jose.
Set in Australia, East Timor and Washington in the lead up to the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999, The Idealist is a novel which explores the entanglement of private and public life: it is a political mystery, a portrait of a marriage, a reflection on friendship, and a study of a personality as it breaks down under pressure.
Jake, an Australian defence analyst, is torn between his support for the people of East Timor, whose commitment to independence in the face of mounting violence he has experienced personally, and his responsibility for and complicity in the actions of his government. When he is found dead in the garage of his Washington home, his wife Anne is determined to see justice done. Atmospheric, tender, subtle in its portrayal of conflicting allegiances, The Idealist takes the reader into the space of the personal and political with a rare artistry.
Come and join the conversation! New members are most welcome but spaces are limited. The event link below will be activated from 9am on Thursday 1 February and spaces will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Feel free to send us an email if you have any questions.