Living with the past

Part historical murder mystery, part journey towards reconciliation, at the heart of Amanda Curtin’s novel, The Sinkings, is a figure whom we barely meet but whose existence is the key to this remarkable narrative.

Set in Ireland, Scotland and Western Australia, The Sinkings tracks the life of Little Jock – lost child, survivor of the Potato Famine, convict and murder victim – through the eyes of amateur historian and library sleuth Willa Samson. Grieving and guilt-stricken, Willa has abandoned her profession as an editor and immersed herself in the past in a process of comprehension and discovery. As the story unfolds, Little Jock emerges as an intriguing subject for Willa’s historical navigation. Her impetus to gather evidence of Little Jock’s secret also arises from a deep need to understand the experience and perspective of her own lost child, Imogen.