The Science of Appearances / Jacinta Halloran

'Their twin gestation held the kind of sickly fascination usually reserved for some gruesome act of nature: a fly trapped in a huntsman's web, a snake swallowing a mouse. Blind little babies, so Mary often imagined, curled up together for nine whole months, their spines aligned, sardine-like. Worst of all, they were naked.' Thirteen-year-old twins Dominic and Mary have very different natures: Dominic, quiet and serious, is drawn to the natural world, while Mary, a talented artist, is passionate and imaginative. The country town of Kyneton, still grappling with the legacy of World War II, cannot contain her ambitions for a life of creative endeavour. When their father dies unexpectedly, the reverberations send the two in different directions. Mary escapes to the bohemian haunts of Melbourne while Dominic stays behind, riven by responsibility and an unwavering loyalty to their mother. But the siblings share a special bond, of the kind only twins do, and each struggles with the loss of the other as they begin to carve out new lives. When a secret emerges with the potential to affect them both, will they be drawn together once more? Set in an era of social constraint and profound scientific discovery, The Science of Appearances explores the inexorable pull of the past and the indelible bond we share with those who know us best. Rendered in beautifully evocative prose, this tender, powerful, touching novel shows how the complex interplay of heredity and environment makes, shapes, and sometimes breaks us. PRAISE FOR JACINTA HALLORAN 'Skilfully evoked ... Halloran has her convincingly drawn and very different characters experience some of the mid 20th century's most exciting and far reaching movements ... a lively, informative novel.' The Herald Sun 'Exquisite ... A panoramic portrayal of Melbourne in the years after World War II ... Halloran's gentleness as a writer belies the strength of her worldly wisdom. She does not see the world through rose-coloured glasses. She appreciates its beauty with honesty.' The Age The new novel from the author of Dissection and Pilgrimage. A moving coming-of-age story characterised by intelligent, literary prose, set against the evocative backdrop of 1950s Melbourne. To be launched at the 2016 Melbourne Writers Festival and supported by an extensive publicity campaign. Perfect for book clubs: tackles powerful ideas such as nature versus nurture, family trauma, and gender roles for women. For readers of Marilynne Robinson, Anne Tyler, and Gillian Mears.