The Vanishing Act

This is a story about a snow-covered island you won't find on any map.

Minou and her Papa live on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. Minou’s mother has been missing for a year and despite what everyone tells her, Minou refuses to believe that she is dead. The morning after the circus Mama walked out into the rain with her umbrella and Turtle she must have been going somewhere.

The only other people on the island are Priest, who gives the Sunday sermon, and Boxman, who makes the kinds of boxes that magicians put beautiful ladies in before sawing them in half. And there is also Boxman’s dog, No Name.

Papa talks to Minou about philosophy and how the truth can be found through rational thought. But Mama didn’t believe in philosophy; she believed in rainbows, paintings and the power of imagination.

One day a dead boy washes onto the beach and Minou and Papa take him home. With the arrival of the boy comes the unmistakable scent of oranges — just like the smell of Mama’s orange cake.

The dead boy is a good listener and in talking to him Minou discovers clues that may help explain where Mama might have gone and, just as importantly, the meaning of love.

A beautiful, haunting story you will never forget.

Reviews

‘A beautiful, moving fable. The Vanishing Act is one of the best books I have read in a long time.’ - Eva Hornung, winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Dog Boy

‘A perfectly poised, fable-like tale of loss, written with delightful whimsy, deep empathy and a beguiling sense of innocence. This book is a gem.’ - Graeme Base

‘This quixotic story explores the delicate balance between logic and imagination through the minutia of island life. This is a stunning new voice for fans of literary fiction, and reads like a thoroughly modern Hans Christian Anderson fairytale.’ - Australian Bookseller & Publisher

About the Author

Mette Jakobsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1964 but now lives in Newtown, Sydney. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and a BA in philosophy. In 2004 she graduated from NIDA’s Playwrights Studio and several of her plays have been broadcast on national radio. The Vanishing Act is her first novel and rights have already been sold in the US, Canada, Germany and Holland, with more to come.