His Illegal Self
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| Author | Peter Carey |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary |
| Publisher | Random House, Australia |
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Publication date
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2008 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 270 pp |
| ISBN | |
| 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 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
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.
The novel carried the following dedication:
"For Bel"
...
Wikipedia