A Descant for Gossips

In this classic story of small-town life, two schoolteachers are drawn to each other by their concern for a lonely young girl. For as long as Vinny Lalor could remember, she had been on the fringe of things - in her family and at school. But as the final term of the year progresses, rumour and malice mount against Vinny and her two teachers, sweeping them towards scandal and, for one of them, disaster. A Descant for Gossips was Thea Astley's second novel, released in 1960 in England and Australia. In 1983 it was successfully adapted for television by the ABC. 'A mesmerising novel . . . a fascinating estimate of the costs of being different.' New York Newsday 'Dazzling imagery on every page.' Publishers Weekly 'Beautifully poised and structured.' Canberra Times 'Touched by the flying fringe of greatness . . . penetrating, passionate, keen in its observation, quick in its feeling.' Meanjin