His Illegal Self

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His Illegal Self
His Illegal Self.png
Author Peter Carey
Country Australia
Language English
Genre Literary
Publisher Random House, Australia
Publication date
2008
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages270 pp
ISBN 9781741665352
Preceded by Theft: A Love Story  
Followed by Parrot and Olivier in America  

His Illegal Self is a 2008 novel by Australian author Peter Carey. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards and longlisted for the 2010 International Dublin Literary Award.

Contents

Plot summary

The novel is set in 1972, and the main character Che Selkirk is being brought up in New York by his grandmother. On a rare excursion to the city from his isolated home on Kenoza Lake in upstate New York, Che meets a woman who he believes is his mother. The woman, Dial, attempts to arrange a meeting between Che and his mother but this is cancelled after Che's mother is killed while attempting to plant a bomb. Dial then takes the boy away from New York, first to Seattle where they briefly meet Che's father, and then on to Queensland in Australia. Dial and Che eventually settle into a hippie commune while still attempting to evade the authorities.

Awards

Reviews

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