The House Tibet [B1617]

1992 PB reprint of the 1990 Australian original, in worn condition. This deeply affecting Australian young adult novel deals with incest, "what it's like being a girl at war ... practically every MINUTE of your life", and finding the courage to heal.

"While it was happening, I watched the moon." So begins this story of a young girl, Vicky, who is raped by her father. Reaching out to her female family members in an attempt to understand what has happened to her, Vicky finds herself denied in turn by her mother, grandmother, and aunt. In the sudden terror and confusion of her shattered world, she flees her home and family, taking her autistic brother, James, with her. They join a band of homeless, street-wise children, embark on a series of wild misadventures, and finally end up meeting a wise and compassionate old man in a wondrous place called the House Tibet.

This beautiful and disturbing novel offers a subtle and searing condemnation of the violence that often lies at the heart of the contemporary family and includes some of the most compelling characters the reader will ever meet.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I agree 100% with the The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer: "These two kids constitute one of the great character duos of Australian fiction. Despite its darkly topical subject matter of incest and street kids, this is a story which leaves the reader's spirit enlivened, and the mind crowded with new friends who keep talking well after the book itself is done and closed."; This book was tender and horrific, outrageous and ringing loud with truth. I highly recommend it."; "This is a fabulous book. It may deal with some gritty subject matter but is a fantastic story of strength, determination and following your own path."; "I thought the characters excellent and the story of the two runaway Australian siblings a compelling one. The observations of human nature are astute and I really enjoyed it. I will plan on reading another of this author's books some day - although they are not easy to find in the U.S."; "Love this book, it's real, raw, emotional, gripping, playful and youthful. Experiencing the main characters' journeys, their pain, healing and triumphs is such a worthwhile experience. This book does an incredible job of illustrating a young person's perspective on child sexual abuse, incest, homelessness, friendship, sex and adventure. Trigger warning: this book does have the above themes in detail. However, I love this book and whilst it made me cry, it also made me feel free."; "I don't normally read young-adult fiction, but I picked this up in an op-shop some years ago, and it was fantastic. So engaging and uniquely Australian, the characters were real and understandable, just a really interesting read."