In fact, these two novels reflect each other almost paratextually in important ways: each concerns a young girl with aspirations to become a writer; indeed, each story is compounded of the diary entries written by the protagonist.

‘He’s right, you know,’ said Archie earnestly, ashing a fag in an empty curry bowl.

They were riding down to Wullunya in O’Dowd’s spring cart, all ajingle on the yellow road, lashing the water with their wheels.

Fifteen hundred pesos for a fucky-fucky, two thousand for a chupuda.