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A seductive novel of family, destiny, love and wallpaper
They met on a train.
They fell in love.
They got married.
They lived happily ever after.
Or not.
Francis Sprigge and Lilian Powys, two strangers escaping their past, move to the Blue Mountains together, following their dreams of creativity and love. But as Francis pursues his gift for designing exquisite wallpaper, Lilian finds that the ordinary life she craves remains frustratingly beyond reach. Despite her adoring husband and spirited young daughter Adelaide, Lilian cannot outrun her demons, and cracks soon appear in the family′s harmonious veneer.
Nearly thirty years later, Addie Sprigge returns to her childhood haunts to lead a small team of conservators in the restoration of a historic mansion. But as they peel back the layers of wallpaper and begin to uncover the secrets of the house, the past resurfaces in unexpected ways. Addie learns much more about herself, and her parents, than she ever could have anticipated.
Flock is the captivating story of talented and passionate people and the ghosts they must lay to rest, as well as a ravishing exploration of the nature of love -- and wallpaper.
About the Author
Born in Wales in 1952, Lyn spent eighteen years in South Africa before settling in Australia in 1982. Her first two novels were The Factory (1990) -- shortlisted for the National Book Council’s New Writing Award -- and One Way Mirrors (1993). Lyn’s third novel, The Bright House(Random House, 2000), is set in South Africa and Britain.Lyn′s fourth novel, Flock is set in Australia and is released in March 2011. Lyn lives in Sydney.
Reviewed By Toni Whitmont, Booktopia Buzz Editor
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From the author:
My latest novel is called Flock and takes as its background the world of wallpaper. It tells the story of four young conservators, curators and historians who come together to restore an historic house in the Blue Mountains and gradually find themselves restored. It's also a love story-well, two love stories, actually, separated by a generation. The novel ranges freely between the French Revolution, Victorian England and the Blue Mountains in the 1960s and 80s, as it explores the joys and difficulties of living a creative life. It's my first novel set in Australia and, in essence, a story of wallpaper and family and the sticky, far from ephemeral nature of both.
