Tom Keely's reputation is in ruins. And that's the upside.

Divorced and unemployed, he's lost faith in everything precious to him. From his seedy highrise flat Keely looks down at a society from which he's retired hurt and angry, well past caring. But he cannot avoid entanglement with the neighbours- a woman from his past, a boy the likes of which he's never met before. Two strangers leading a life beyond his experience and into whose orbit he falls despite himself.

What follows is a ground-breaking novel for our times - funny, confronting, and inhabited by unforgettable characters.

'A superb tale of disillusionment and redemption, loss and beauty, this is Winton in top form ... He has rarely been funnier.' Michael Williams, The Guardian (Australia)

'An absurdly good writer ... This is a fascinating, thought-provoking book.' Publishers Weekly (US)