We Were Not Men
Campbell Mattinson
This is a story about love.
Love for nine-year-old twins Jon and Eden Hardacre is simple. Their mum, the creek that they swim in, each other - this is the love that they trust, love as clear and pure as sunlight, as honey, as water. But then there's a terrible accident. And in its wake, they develop a desperation - a yearning - to outgrow tragedy. They get older, compete with each other, fall in love with the same girl, and begin to realise that their lives - and who they love - demand something more. Something deeper. Richer.
Heart-hammeringly original, intense and deeply moving, We Were Not Men is a powerhouse novel about all the various faces that love shows us and how sometimes, distracted by life, ambition or attraction, we take it for granted until it's too late - or almost too late. An unforgettable novel about the difference between getting older and growing up, from an astonishing new and original voice, pulsing with grief, hope and love.
It is a revelation.
Shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2022
Shortlisted for the Mud Literary Award 2022