ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.

The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

Written in powerfully inventive language and bursting with heart, Bridge of Clay is signature Zusak.

About the Author

Markus Zusak is an Australian writer of German origin. He is the award-winning, number one bestselling author of The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger, Fighting Ruben Wolf, and Getting the Girl. He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and children.

Librarian’s Comments

Bridge of Clay is an unforgettable and sweeping family saga. The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. A family of ramshackle tragedy – their mother is dead, their father has fled – they love and fight, and learn to reckon with the adult world. It is Clay, the quiet one, who will build a bridge; for his family, for his past, for his sins. He builds a bridge to transcend humanness. To survive. A miracle and nothing less. National Library of Australia, Australia

Soon into the novel, we fell in love with the Dunbar family and their griefs and home and animals. The author writes the story in poetic prose; actually there’s a lot of poetry. The story is woven together beautifully, and he has a great knack of leading his readers to the very end in a most intriguing fashion. The author has made ordinary lives worthy. A long haul but exceedingly satisfying. State Library of South Australia, Australia