Books like The strays by Emily Bitto
On her first day at a new school, Lily befriends the daughter of avant‑garde painter Evan Trentham. Together with his wife, Evan invites like‑minded artists to live and work at their family home, escaping 1930s Australia’s conservatism.
Lily becomes enamoured with this makeshift artistic family, longing to belong. As the years unfold, she watches how the artists’ ambitions mirror the themes of their work—Faustian bargains and spectacular falls from grace. In the end, the cost of Evan’s radicalism falls most heavily on his daughters, while Lily navigates the complex web of loyalty, ambition, and sacrifice.
First publish date: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Emily Bitto
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