The Promise Seed (Cass Moriarty, UQP)

When a lonely 10-year-old boy gets caught stealing flowers from his elderly neighbour’s garden, it heralds the start of an unlikely friendship. Both the boy and the man (neither of whom are named) pass quiet, solitary days in a leafy Brisbane suburb: the boy’s mother leaves him to his own devices while she dates a string of unpleasant suitors, and the old man reflects on a life punctuated by tragedy and loss. When the two become friends, the time they spend together—playing chess, gardening and looking after the old man’s chickens—offers the solace of escape: the man from his memories and the boy from his home life. But their precarious new harmony is threatened when the boy’s mother begins a destructive new relationship, and the old man finally sees the chance to atone for his past mistakes. This is a beautifully paced debut from talented new Australian writer Cass Moriarty (no relation to the Moriarty author sisters), which was shortlisted for the 2013 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. It’s a thoughtful portrait of friendship, family and loneliness, and Moriarty’s finely drawn characters—chapters alternate between the two protagonists’ perspectives, and there’s a carefully crafted symmetry to their experiences—bring levity and pathos to a sombre but moving story.  

Carody Culver is a freelance writer and editor and bookseller at Brisbane’s Avid Reader

Category: Reviews