The Weight of a Human Heart

Sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, this collection turns the rules of storytelling on their head. A series of graphs illustrates the disintegration of a marriage, step by excruciating step. A literary stoush – and an affair – play out in the book review section of a national newspaper. The heartbreaking story of a Rwandan boy is hidden within his English exam paper. A young girl learns her mother’s disturbing secrets through the broken key on a typewriter. Ranging from Australia to Africa to China and back again, The Weight of a Human Heart heralds a fresh new voice in Australian literature. “Stories full of wit, irony, wild invention, love and pain — and sometimes shocking power.” – Paddy O’Reilly “By turns acerbic, playful and serious, O’Neill is equally at home with satire and pathos.” – Cate Kennedy “With each new story O’Neill redefines the boundaries of what is possible” – Patrick Cullen