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Title details for One Day We're All Going to Die by Elise Esther Hearst - Available

One Day We're All Going to Die

by Elise Esther Hearst
Elise Esther Hearst
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AGE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

'A tender story about family, love, intergenerational grief, living up to family expectations and making your own way'. Nicole Abadee, Sydney Morning Herald

Sorrow and Bliss meets Normal People in this utterly compelling, darkly humorous millennial coming-of-age novel about a 27-year-old single Jewish woman in Melbourne who must learn to reconcile family expectations, cultural constraints and inter-generational trauma with her own desires. A coruscating new voice.


'A remarkable debut from an enthralling storyteller. I didn't want it to end.' Sarah Krasnostein

At 27, Naomi is just trying to be a normal person. A normal person who works at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, who cares for lost things, found things, sacred things and her family. A person who finds herself going on bad blind dates, having cringe-worthy sex, a tumultuous, toxic affair, and falling for a man called Moses.

Being a normal person would be easy and fine if she didn't bear the weight of the unspoken grief of Cookie, her Holocaust-survivor grandmother. It would all be fine if she just knew how to be, without feeling the pull of expectation, the fear of disappointing others (men, friends, her parents, humanity), and that pesky problem of being attracted to all the wrong people (according to her parents, anyway).

By endlessly trying to please everyone around her, Naomi can't seem to figure out what she wants for herself, or how to get it. With echoes of the dead and dying all about her, in objects, in story, in her grandmother's firm grasp, Naomi isn't quite sure she knows how to be a normal person, but she is going to try.

This fiercely honest, funny and fearless novel is a deep dive into the complex questions that surround culture, identity politics and generational trauma in contemporary Australia. Both a sadly affectionate and brilliantly unsparing examination of the glorious, awkward, messiness of life.

'A compelling, immersive, utterly absorbing read. Hearst's arrival on the literary scene is a triumphal one. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.' Dr Lee Kofman.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 30, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781460749555
      • File size: 225393 KB
      • Duration: 07:49:34

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Books+Publishing

      July 25, 2023
      Elise Esther Hearst’s impressive debut novel One Day We’re All Going To Die is introspective, evocative and imbued with poetic simplicity. With a playfully dark narrative, the book follows 27-year-old Jewish woman Naomi as she attempts to harmonise familial and cultural expectations with her desires. Living in Melbourne, Naomi is passionate about her work at the Jewish Museum but is unfulfilled in her personal life. Stumbling into a toxic affair, she soon begins to question her worth and her professional future. From finding love in the wrong places to disappointing her parents, Naomi just wants to be a normal person, if only she knew how to be. Hearst is a fresh and exciting voice and easily draws readers into a relatable, at times uncomfortable, exploration of identity, love and the pursuit of personal fulfilment. With unflinching honesty and witty prose, Hearst masterfully delves into the realities of womanhood, reflecting on that unique turning point—when you consider your origins and where you want to go next. Exploring complex relationships, parental expectations and generational trauma, particularly through the lens of Naomi’s Holocaust survivor grandmother, Cookie, One Day We’re All Going to Die is a noteworthy addition to the millennial coming-of-age genre. This must-read is for Sally Rooney, Ottessa Moshfegh and Meg Mason fans, but Hearst’s ability to embrace brevity while packing emotional depth and capturing aspects of the female millennial experience is also reminiscent of Japanese authors Meiko Kawakami (Breasts and Eggs) and Emi Yagi (Diary of a Void). One Day We’re All Going to Die reminds us that even in the face of uncertainty, there are moments when you know you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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