THIS PICTURE OF YOU

A gripping novel told with skill and insight by a sophisticated writer of great assurance. Psychologically fascinating, suspenseful, character-driven and impossible to put down.

Martin Field, a judge, and his partner Maggie, an artist, have lived together for 37 years and have a son, Ethan, who is a high flying lawyer, and a much loved grandson, Finnegan. But Martin's mind is deteriorating. One day he takes his son's car and drives into the welfare heartland suburb of La Perouse and runs over an Aboriginal boy's dog. No one knows why he was there, not even Martin himself, but it's clear to Maggie that there is something from Martin's past that is troubling him greatly. What comes to light is a particular case Martin was involved in which has enormous repercussions for his family, especially Maggie. As Maggie attempts to piece together the events of that night, Martin regales his son with his now-vivid memories of one night in New York and how it was that he and his mother eventually ended up together. As his mind spirals inward, the thin veneer that has been holding his lifetime of secrets at bay gradually starts to tear. Nothing is what it seems in this searing story of love and betrayal, and a family unravelling. Sarah Hopkins has worked in the area of social justice and prisoner rights for 15 years. She is the author of two novels: The Crimes of Billy Fish, which was a runner up for the inaugural ABC fiction prize, and Speak to Me. She is currently working as a lawyer with the Aboriginal Legal Service in Sydney where she lives with her husband and two children.