'A brave and impressive debut' David Malouf 1939. A bridge is built, and a country town becomes a city. Three young men forge a close friendship as they labour precariously high above the river, but one slip transforms their lives. A generation later, Robbie, a young landscaper, grappling with those who should be closest to him - his father, whose past is linked with the iconic bridge, and his girlfriend, Freya, who is left shattered after a vicious assault. The Comfort of Figs is the unforgettable story of the birth of a city, the power of obsession and the burden of a family secret.