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The Name of the Sister

A young woman stumbles onto an outback road at night, and is caught in the headlights of an approaching car. Who is she? Nobody knows, and she has lost the ability to speak. She is rushed to hospital and then exposed to the glare of the TV cameras.

This is how the story of the Unknown Woman begins, setting off a media firestorm that catches the eye of Angie, a freelance journalist and childhood friend of Bev, the police inspector in charge of identifying Jane, as the Unknown Woman is dubbed, and tracking down her assailant. Dozens of people step forward claiming to know Jane and to hold the key to her identity.

Gail Jones new novel, set in Sydney and the Mars-red landscapes surrounding the remote mining town of Broken Hill, explores how stories about identity and history multiply in the absence of reliable facts. And then the stories redouble once the Unknown Woman is identified and given a name. In an urgent finale that neither of the major characters could have anticipated, contradictory clues will proliferate about the true name of the sister.

Gail Jones
About the Author

Gail Jones is one of Australia’s most celebrated writers. She is the author of two short-story collections and ten novels, and her work has been translated into several languages and has received numerous literary awards. Originally from Western Australia, she now lives in Sydney.

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Extent:
208pp
Format:
Paperback
Text publication date:
3 June 2025
ISBN:
9781923058538
AU Price:
$34.99
NZ Price:
$40.00
Australian
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Praise for Gail Jones
andThe Name of the Sister

‘One of the most important and prolific literary authors working in Australia today.’

‘For decades, Gail Jones has been writing with more intelligence, verve and sensuous delight in the world than most of her peers.’

‘Jones has to be one of Australia’s most consistently impressive writers. Her prose is evocative, her plots meaningful and her characters drawn with considerable care.’

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