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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'In 1943, a young woman is taken to a Jewish ghetto outside Prague where one of the guards - a Czech gendarme - is quickly drawn to her. Believing he will offer her protection, Hana reluctantly accepts Karel's advances only to find herself alone and abandoned in Auschwitz. Decades later, Karel carries his regrets to Sydney where he and his family try to make a new life for themselves.
'Despite her devotion to the family, Karel's wife is a troubled woman, haunted by a secret that will not leave her as the consequences of her actions as a young woman continue to reverberate both within her family and further afield. Meanwhile, the couple's daughter is still reeling from her husband's infidelities as, unbeknownst to any of them, their cherished granddaughter becomes more and more entangled with her married boss.
'Outwardly harmonious, this is a fractured family whose lives are built on foundations of lies and deceptions - foundations that threaten to completely collapse as old transgressions re-emerge in the lead up to a long-awaited family wedding. Inspired by a true story of wartime betrayal, The Deceptions is a searing, compassionate tale of love and regret within a family whose secrets might better be left alone.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Dyslexic edition.
- Large print.
- Braille.
Works about this Work
-
Suzanne Leal : The Deceptions
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2021;
— Review of The Deceptions 2020 single work novel'The deceptions in Suzanne Leal’s third novel span World War II Czechoslovakia and the Holocaust to present-day Sydney.'
-
Secrets, Lies and Survival
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 25 April 2020; (p. 16)
— Review of The Deceptions 2020 single work novel'Suzanne Leal’s new novel, The Deceptions, asks a difficult question. Is it necessary to always tell the truth, or is deceit sometimes the better strategy?'
-
Secrets, Lies and Survival
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 25 April 2020; (p. 16)
— Review of The Deceptions 2020 single work novel'Suzanne Leal’s new novel, The Deceptions, asks a difficult question. Is it necessary to always tell the truth, or is deceit sometimes the better strategy?'
-
Suzanne Leal : The Deceptions
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2021;
— Review of The Deceptions 2020 single work novel'The deceptions in Suzanne Leal’s third novel span World War II Czechoslovakia and the Holocaust to present-day Sydney.'
Awards
- 2021 shortlisted Davitt Award — Best Adult Crime Novel
- 2020 winner 'The Nib': CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature — People's Choice Prize
- 2020 winner 'The Nib': CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature — The Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize
- 2020 shortlisted 'The Nib': CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature
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Prague,
cCzech Republic,cEastern Europe, Europe,
-
Auschwitz-Birkenau,
Occupied Poland (1939-1945),
cPoland,cEastern Europe, Europe,
- Sydney, New South Wales,