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'To tell you the truth, I kinda felt sorry for the kid. There was something in his eyes that stirred a memory inside me. For a moment, I was him, I was that boy hiding by the woodshed . . .
'An elderly man, living alone in the suburbs, thinks back on his life - the missed opportunities, the shocking betrayals, the rare moments of joy. When his ten-year-old neighbour hides in his garden one afternoon, they begin an unexpected friendship that offers a reprieve from their individual struggles. The boy, often left on his own by his mother, finds solace in gardening and playing chess with his new friend, who is still battling the demons of his past.
'As a sinister figure enters the boy's life, he must choose between a burgeoning friendship and blood ties. Can the old man protect the boy he has come to know - and redeem the boy he once was?
'A poignant debut novel by a fresh Australian voice, The Promise Seed will move and mesmerise you. ' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Dedication: For the child who has no voice. (And for Sean, who always told me I could.)
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Epigraph:
'I wasn't raised in this country.
Wasn't raised, really at all.'
'If a person is not raised, then what? He grows from a seed?'
–Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna
The years teach much which the days never know. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also sound recording.
- Large print.
Works about this Work
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Heartfelt Tale to Be Considered for Award
2016
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 26 August 2016; (p. 12) 'Working as a crisis counsellor gave Brisbane author Cass Moriarty the inspiration for her poignant debut novel. The Promise Seed is the story of a neglected boy and his friendship with the elderly man next door and it has been selected as one of eight finalists for the $10,000 The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Book of the Year Award. Voting for this year’s award is now open and The Courier-Mail writers Matthew Condon and Susan Johnson are also in the mix. ...' -
Review : The Promise Seed
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Books + Publishing , July vol. 95 no. 1 2015; (p. 21)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel -
Novel Debut of Suburban Sorrow and Salvation
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Courier-mail , 22 December 2015; (p. 37)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel 'Working as a volunteer phone counsellor helping families in crisis left a lasting impression on Brisbane author Cass Moriarty...' -
Review : The Promise Seed
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Good Reading , October 2015; (p. 44)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel -
Sombre Twists in Life’s Journey
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 September 2015; (p. 26)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel ; Fever of Animals 2015 single work novel
-
Restless Fictions
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Sydney Review of Books , September 2015;
— Review of Fever of Animals 2015 single work novel ; When There's Nowhere Else to Run 2015 selected work short story ; The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel -
Sombre Twists in Life’s Journey
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 September 2015; (p. 26)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel ; Fever of Animals 2015 single work novel -
Review : The Promise Seed
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Good Reading , October 2015; (p. 44)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel -
Novel Debut of Suburban Sorrow and Salvation
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Courier-mail , 22 December 2015; (p. 37)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel 'Working as a volunteer phone counsellor helping families in crisis left a lasting impression on Brisbane author Cass Moriarty...' -
Review : The Promise Seed
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Books + Publishing , July vol. 95 no. 1 2015; (p. 21)
— Review of The Promise Seed 2015 single work novel -
Heartfelt Tale to Be Considered for Award
2016
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 26 August 2016; (p. 12) 'Working as a crisis counsellor gave Brisbane author Cass Moriarty the inspiration for her poignant debut novel. The Promise Seed is the story of a neglected boy and his friendship with the elderly man next door and it has been selected as one of eight finalists for the $10,000 The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Book of the Year Award. Voting for this year’s award is now open and The Courier-Mail writers Matthew Condon and Susan Johnson are also in the mix. ...'