The Burrow by Melanie Cheng | Review

In her unforgettable new novel, Victorian Premier's Literary Award-winner Melanie Cheng has created this year's literary masterpiece.

'How rare, this delicacy-this calm, sweet, desolated wisdom.' Helen Garner

'Stupendously good' Christos Tsiolkas

Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home. They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change.

When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy's mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets. Will opening their hearts to the rabbit help them to heal or only invite further tragedy?

The Burrow tells an unforgettable story about grief and hope. With her characteristic compassion and eye for detail, Melanie Cheng reveals the lives of others-even of a small rabbit.

'An exquisite portrait of grief and the small things that save us. I was mesmerised.' - Shankari Chandran

'Such a fan of Melanie Cheng's work. Quiet writing with such fierce emotion. This one's another gift of a novel.' - Benjamin Law

'Gulped it. I've been a Melanie Cheng fan since our first books came out. But this one is next level-it conveys so much human experience so sparingly that it seems to defy the laws of gravity. Stunning.' - Sarah Krasnostein

'The Burrow...skilfully brings coherence to its explorations of compassion, commitment, and suffering.' Booklist

'On the surface, The Burrow is a very quiet, understated book; but of course there is a lot going on beneath that surface, down in the burrow...Definitely recommended.' Through the Biblioscope

'A triumph of restrained and tender storytelling...A nuanced study of one family's grief, but it's also a magnificent portrait of modern loneliness.' Books+Publishing

An absolutely beautiful book...It might be my novel of the year.' Michael Williams, ABC RN The Bookshelf