Grindstone
Grindstone is a new novel I've recently completed. It is a work of literary speculative fiction with a strong, witty voice underpinned by the mystery of a missing brother, haunting intuition and a good dose of excessive drinking and dubious relationship choices.
Synopsis
In a post-pandemic, post-climate crisis world, 28-year-old Abby is busy running her own business, but all she wants is to drink herself into oblivion and forget everything she has lost. She owns the town flour mill, which is powered by the fitness-obsessed townspeople using exercise bikes, riding kilometres in return for grams of flour. This set-up was built and designed by her near-genius brother Elliot, who disappeared three months ago. With only her old dog, Chips, to keep her company, Abby is struggling with solitude and feels her friends are becoming increasingly distant. Tensions soon rise with the return of her ex-lover and his new lady-friend who bring news from outside.
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Yet Abby has a secret: she can tell when disaster is about to strike – she hears it on the wind, through the grasses, or even in the call of the birds. After she warns the town about yet another freak storm hitting on market day, Abby returns home to find a mysterious boy needing shelter from the rain. She unwillingly takes him in, but they quickly become attached and she decides to help him, despite knowing he could be carrying disease and should be reported.
When the town finds out about her hideaway, Abby and the boy are exiled – she must leave everything she knows. In retaliation, she takes part of the mill with her, knowing it will give her a fighting chance to return, and she and the boy set out to find her brother.
Unique Selling Point
The character of Abby draws the reader into the world and is at once familiar and funny, but also aware of how vulnerable and alone she is. The world of Grindstone has a vibrant steam-punk vibe, with the community working together to build a hodge-podge life out of the refuse of our contemporary world. Yet it is not depressing, as the story becomes a representation of human resilience and the simple need for not only safety and shelter, but also love.
Comparative Titles
Wolfe Island – Lucy Treloar: speculative world building, solitary woman narrative, yet with family as a narrative focus.
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Sorrow and Bliss – Meg Mason: the voice of Martha has some similar qualities to Abby, in its raw self-deprecating tone. The relationship between the sisters is also similar to Abby’s relationship with her brother.
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The End We Start From – Megan Hunter: an intimate look at post-apocalyptic life.
Author's note
Grindstone has undoubtedly been influenced by recent world events, however, was born more from an interest in sibling relationships and questions of what it means to be a woman in an uncertain world. I'm also very drawn to magical realism in hyper-real settings, and wanted to include some ideas around this exploration of humanity in times of crisis. Perhaps I am an optimist, but I do believe that most people want to do the right thing, whatever that may be, and I feel like I have not seen that represented in contemporary fiction that tackles dramatic or confronting issues.
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The setting is a fictional rural town, inspired by much of my youth spent on farms in the Southern Highlands of NSW. In particular, my parents once took me to an abandoned water mill that was on a property adjacent to my Aunt's farm. I still have the photos I took that day, and my next project is to dig them out of the attic and post them here!
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I am a writer, academic and musician from Sydney and have had several short fiction publications in local and international journals. With a background in performance and teaching, I am a confident presenter and speaker, and able to be involved in marketing and promotional events. I hold a PhD and Masters in Creative Writing and a Grad Cert in Publishing and Editing.