Rod Jones is an Australian novelist exploring the intricate connections between individuals and their environments. His writing is characterized by a keen insight into the human psyche and a lyrical prose that draws readers into his narratives. Jones often delves into the nature of memory and its profound influence on shaping our present realities. His works offer a deep reflection on the human condition.
Exploring themes of motherhood and adoption, this poignant multi-generational narrative delves into how the past shapes our identities and relationships. It intricately weaves the lives of its characters, revealing the emotional complexities and connections that bind them across time. The story highlights the enduring impact of choices made and the legacies passed down, offering a heartfelt reflection on family and the ties that define us.
In a gripping exploration of addiction and redemption, Julia Paradise, a missionary's wife, grapples with her morphine dependency while navigating the complexities of her life and faith. The story delves into her struggles, revealing the tension between her desires and her responsibilities. As she confronts her addiction, Julia's journey becomes one of self-discovery and resilience, set against a backdrop of moral dilemmas and personal transformation. The narrative challenges perceptions of virtue and vice, making it a poignant tale of human frailty.
Shanghai, 1927 --- hot, teeming, mysterious. Kenneth Ayres, a disciple of Freud, lives as an anonymous expatriate, treating the lonely wives and daughters of British colonials. When Julia Paradise, the wife of an Australian missionary, enters his life, he is seduced into her world, a brilliantly colored jigsaw puzzle of incestuous eroticism and grotesque and magical images. Ayres becomes obsessed with Julia --- exploring her lush and haunted mind through hypnosis, and her body through regular Tuesday afternoon adultery. She leads him into a labyrinth of hallucinations, manipulated memories, and transparent lies, where the truth is never absolute and even the past is transformed. As Shanghai erupts in revolution, Ayres is left to piece together the puzzle, and the reader to map the realms of mystery, dreams, imagination, and myth in this extraordinary novel.