The Day They Shot Edward. Beautifully and sensitively written, a powerful novel about lost innocence and the tragedy of war. Caught up in a man-hunt for his anarchist friend in jingoistic World War 1 Australia, a boy finds that only beauty and love are consolations for the cruelty he witnesses.
The Scourge of Termite-ists. Here are particularly Australian stories, told in a variety of narrative voices by unique and memorable individuals, both men and women. Each tale has it own special mood. Using aptly chosen words and appropriate dialogue, Scarfe shows a flair for biting social satire in some; others mix amusement with sadness, pity with cruelty, or detachment with melancholy. Beginning with a country innocent who became a security threat there follow wry observations of the irony of disappointed expectations; the nuances of relationships; the anguish of dual citizenship; the deceits of alcoholism.