{"product_id":"willowman","title":"Willowman","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKPEOPLE ADULT FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE ACT NOTABLE BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWillowman\u003c\/i\u003e may well be the perfect Australian novel. — Readings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeguiling and entertaining. — Peter Lalor, \u003ci\u003eWeekend Australian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA sweet strike that goes beyond the boundary. — \u003ci\u003eThe Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJoyous storytelling at its best. I was enthralled. — Sarah Winman, author of \u003ci\u003eStill Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI bloody loved this - a gorgeous, heartbreaking examination of so much more than cricket. — Robbie Arnott, author of \u003ci\u003eLimberlost\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAllan Reader, one of the last traditional batmakers in the country, keeps his family business alive in a small workshop in Melbourne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Todd Harrow, a gifted young batter, catches Allan's eye, a spark is lit and Allan decides to make a Reader bat for him, selecting the best piece of willow he's harvested in years to do so.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Harrow charts a meteoric rise to the highest echelons of the sport, Allan's bat takes centre stage as well, awakening something in him. But can Allan's fledgling renaissance — hanging as it does on the magic of \u003ci\u003ethat\u003c\/i\u003e bat — carry on after Harrow is stricken by injury and a strained personal life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA six all the way: \u003ci\u003eWillowman\u003c\/i\u003e is a novel off the middle of the bat. — \u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese charismatic characters rise memorable from the page, stroke by inspired stroke, ball by crafty ball, living vividly through cricket history. — \u003ci\u003eCourier Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA book for the summer, one to throw in the kitbag to read during rain delays, or between overs in the stands, to read even if you're not a fan of the game. — \u003ci\u003eCanberra Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot since \u003ci\u003eJasper Jones\u003c\/i\u003e have I been so utterly spellbound by the next ball, the state of the pitch and the intricacies of scoring. — Kate Mildenhall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA love story to cricket, to families, to craft and to music. Beautifully written. — Michael Brissenden\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInga Simpson brings all her craft and sensitivity to a story that has never been told, and now that she has done it, it feels like this was a story that was needing to be told. — Malcolm Knox\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45714479055084,"sku":"9780733649592","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780733649592.jpg?v=1726009763","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/products\/willowman","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}