Resistance

As a family therapist, Nina is the ultimate listener. Yet this is of little use with her latest clients, the Agostinos, who have been mandated to see her after stealing a car and disappearing into the outback.

For support with the case, Nina meets with a supervising therapist, Erin. What they unearth in their sessions goes beyond the Agostino story into confronting personal territory for Nina. Meanwhile, despite her efforts, the Agostinos remain unwilling to speak—so how can Nina be sure that the two children are safe with their parents?

In the tradition of Rachel Cusk’s Outline trilogy, Resistance is an elegant, hypnotic novel of stories within stories. Examining the unfathomable mysteries within our families, it also questions how we retell our history, both personal and collective.

Jacinta Halloran is the author of the novels Dissection, shortlisted for the 2007 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript; Pilgrimage, shortlisted for the 2014 Barbara Jefferis Award; and The Science of Appearances. Her new novel, Resistance, will be published in March 2023. She is a former board member of the Stella Prize, and was a GP for many years.