Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
Dublin Literary Award Dublin Literary Award
  • ABOUT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • News
  • Archive
           
Menu
Dublin Literary Award
Sold out
HomeBooks2013 What the Family Needed
Previous product
The Keeper of Lost Causes
Back to products
Next product
The Sense of an Ending

What the Family Needed

Author: Steven Amsterdam

2013 Longlist

“Okay, tell me which you want: To be able to fly or to be invisible.” Alek, 7

And so begins the tale of a family finding itself, told by each of its members as they discover powers they never thought possible, from the author of the acclaimed Things We Didn’t See Coming.

“What the Family Needed is a wonderful novel: imaginative, intelligent, empathetic. It’s like a cross between The Corrections and The Slap, except without any of the gloom or rage and with the addition of something that may or may not be either a form of magic realism or simply that old staple of the literary art, metaphor.” – Sydney Morning Herald

“Every now and then, a novel arrives that conveys not only wisdom and understanding but also offers a dose of magic. Part fable, part dreamscape, part family drama, What the Family Needed can be read in several ways. Some of the delight is that nothing is lost in choosing one way over another; in fact, each reading contains all other possible readings.” – Brisbane Courier Mail

“To tell you the narrative concerns a family whose members have superpowers is only to graze the surface of a moving and beautifully realised meditation on what it is to be an ordinary human being.” – The Australian

“Strange and marvellous territory… With such a ferocious intelligence and playful curiosity at work here, all we can hope for is to hang on for the ride.”
– The Monthly

“Amsterdam has a gift for switching reality about: in his sharp and engaging fiction, life seems ordinary but radically unsettling. It’s not even clear what species of fiction we are dealing with… Exhilarating.” – The Australian

“Ingenious.” – Australian Book Review

“A wonderfully fresh perspective on families, homing in on those transformative moments that shape not merely our futures, but our understanding of the past. This is a novel that pulses with hope… It’s a tantalising novel, one that’s both sharp and touching, and Steven Amsterdam is fast becoming one of our most interesting writers.” – Canberra Times

“Unputdownable.” – Townsville Bulletin

“What the Family Needed is a probing exploration of familial love and forbearance, communication and letting go.” 4.5/5 stars – Bookseller & Publisher

“There’s something fresh and engaging about Steven Amsterdam’s writing – a lightness of touch with some of life’s more troubling human scenarios sprinkled with a frisson of other worldliness… Like his 2009 debut Things We Didn’t See Coming is packed to the brim with fascinating ideas that play on your mind and characters so vivid… It’s a magical concept…” November’s Great Read, 2011 – Australian Women’s Weekly

“Amsterdam seems to my mind to be at the height of his considerable literary powers. A tale of a couple of chalk ‘n’ cheese sisters, their respective spouses (ditto), and their teenage siblings – all of them tangled up in what appears to be the ‘wrong version’ of their lives. How those young people in particular make their journey through life, and the means by which they do so, is some of the magic… It’s a book where almost line for line you’ll be unable to wipe the smile off your face; it’s also one where you will marvel at the human sympathy Amsterdam brings to his characters.” – Readings

“An Incredibles for grown-ups. In this cunning and kindly novel, the fantastical is not primarily for show but for illuminating so-called ordinary life.” – Steven Conte

“A brave book, that moves effortlessly through time, reality and space. Amsterdam captures the strangeness of ordinary life in a truly extraordinary way.” – Jessica Au

“Puckish and humane, this is a novel that gives family drama a twist, and another twist, and another.” – Malcolm Knox

“In only his second novel, Amsterdam comes at us as a writer of immense accomplishment, depth, complexity, and a style already his own.” – Matthew Condon

About the Author

Stephen Amsterdam is a palliative care nurse and a writer. His first book, Things We Didn’t See Coming, won the Age Book of the Year, and was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.

Librarian’s Comments

‘What the Family Needed’ was selected by Victoria public librarian vote from a list of suggested nominations compiled by the State Library of Victoria.

  • Additional information
  • Libraries Ireland - Find This Book
Additional information
Author

Steven Amsterdam

Country

AU

Nominating Library

Australia, Melbourne, The State Library of Victoria

Publisher

Australia, Sleepers

Libraries Ireland - Find This Book

Libraries Ireland Search System

Search for this book in the Dublin City online system and reserve for collection at the Irish library of your choice.

Search CATALOGUE Ireland for What the Family Needed

This search result is offered as a helping hand to find books in the Libraries Ireland Online Catalogue. Some results may not be accurate where book titles have common words with similar titles.

Category: 2013
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL

WITH KIND SUPPORT

CONTACT

DUBLIN Literary Award
Dublin City Library & Archive
138 – 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Ireland
literaryaward@dublincity.ie
Tel +353 1 222 4802

  • ABOUT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • News
  • Archive
Copyright © 2022 Dublin City Council
Website by JET Design
close
Start typing to see books you are looking for.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Books
  • Judges
  • Libraries
  • ABOUT
  • Archive
  • News
Scroll To Top