From the award-winning author of Stone Sky Gold Mountain come these superbly crafted stories that explore the inner lives of those who are often ignored or misunderstood. We follow a migrant mother who yearns to feel welcomed at a kids' party in a local park; a young skateboarder caught between showing loyalty and being accepted; and an Indonesian maid working far from home who longs for the son she's left behind. Bookending this collection are two stunning novellas: Annah the Javanese re-imagines the world of one of Paul Gauguin's models in nineteenth-century Paris, while the highly acclaimed The Fish Girl reworks a classic W Somerset Maugham story from the perspective of a young Indonesian woman. With rich emotional insight and a light touch, these wide-ranging stories reveal hidden desires and human fragility.
"'The Burnished Sun effortlessly traverses between the sublime and the everyday, and across continents and time. Mirandi Riwoe conveys small worlds in each story, bringing to life history's voiceless, with subtle humour and wise sensitivity.'"
Alice Pung
"'The characters we meet in The Burnished Sun navigate difficult situations with bravery, vulnerability, and heart. Riwoe's stories make the ordinary profound. Her prose deftly walks the razor-fine line of spare, yet lyrical. The Australian short story is in masterful hands.'"
