WHO WE WERE

Melbourne, 1938. Annabel's dream is to be a scientist. Falling in love is not part of her plan. But when she meets Bill White she knows instantly that they are destined for each other.

She has to wait for him to come back from the war. Their life together, as lovers and microbiologists, can now begin. The newlyweds emigrate to New York. They are at once captivated by fellow immigrants Frank, an ex- Communist from Hungary, and his playwright wife, Suzy. It's the 1950s and the Cold War is in full swing. Frank, Annabel and Bill find work on weapons projects, experimenting with lethal infectious diseases.

Did they cross the world for this? Annabel's whole being is anchored in her ardour of Bill, and their work together. But other forces - suspicion, paranoia, deceit - are at play. Everything begins to unravel: her work, her career, and her marriage.

With its backdrop of science and politics WHO WE WERE is a love story to be reckoned with, an intimate and powerful first novel about trust, obsession and truth itself. Lucy Neave completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing in the US on a Fulbright and full tuition scholarship, and has received a Varuna New Writers' Fellowship and Australian Society of Authors Mentorship. Her fiction has appeared in Australian and American literary journals, including Southerly, Overland and Lost Magazine, and in Best Australian Stories 2009. In a former life, she was (briefly) a veterinarian in country New South Wales. She has since worked for a non-government organization in Kathmandu writing scientific papers and reports, and as a research assistant for Peter Carey. She now teaches creative writing at the Australian National University.