Sunday, 21 October 2012


Carey, Peter. His Illegal Self.  London: Faber & Faber, 2009.

Seven year old Che Selkirk lives with his grandmother since his mother is hiding from the law after robbing a bank for her political group. Che is taken by his grandmother and a tall blonde woman, Dial, a student and babysitter to meet his mother. Che thinks Dial is his mother. However the meeting place is changed. Shortly after, Che’s mother is killed planting a bomb. Che briefly meets his father, then in a panic, Dial and Che catch a plane to Australia. They end up in a hippy community in Queensland. The rest of the novel they spend escaping from the authorities. This is a compelling and suspenseful novel. It is fast-paced and has emotional appeal. Peter Carey is a very popular Australian author.

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