A subtle, perceptive exploration of a man facing a crossroads in his life.

The last time Martin was overseas was in World War II. Shocked by the violence and chaos, at the end of the war he gave up his legal career – to his wife’s dismay – to become a vicar in a quiet Yorkshire parish.

After 25 years he is in France for a second time, travelling with friends to a religious conference in Salamanca. As they drive and tell each other stories, Martin realises that the changes in wider society since the war are echoed in deep cracks in his marriage. Has what he thought of as peace-making within his family really just been cowardice? And is his commitment to his ministry coming to an end? When his 13-year-old daughter Sally runs away, his relationship with his wife reaches a new nadir. He realises he must now take decisive action to step up as a father and change direction once again.

Alice Nunn is a Hobart writer whose past works include Illicit Passage, which was shortlisted for the 1994 Tiptree Award. She was awarded a Category B Fellowship from the Australia Council to write her second novel, Stella’s Stripes. This was followed by Sail On, and her last published work was Going Down Gordon Brown, which was longlisted for the 2019 Margaret Scott Prize.

Dr Kathryn Barnsley has had a distinguished career working for women’s rights and public health. She has worked to support women’s issues through both the Women’s Electoral Lobby and the National Women’s Consultative Council, and was named on the Tasmanian Women’s Honour Roll in 2013.

Join Alice and Kathryn at the Afterword Cafe.