Losing Face
by George Haddad

‘At a time when we need narratives that require more of us than comfort George Haddad's writing delivers. His is a refreshing and challenging voice. Haddad is the remarkable storyteller I have been waiting for.’

‘In this gorgeous, gripping novel, George Haddad has imagined the lives of unforgettable characters, and examined what he’s found in them with compassion and grace. Stunning and rigorous, warm, moving and sharp, this is a surprising story by a brilliant writer that contributes something new to the way we look at families, mothers, and boys.’

‘I loved this beautiful book, and its richly realised main characters, Joey and Elaine. It’s tough and it’s powerful, but it is also joyful and, ultimately, hopeful.’

‘Losing Face showcases Haddad’s rich storytelling talents in this vibrant chronicle of three generations of one family coming to terms with the mistakes they’ve made in the past and learning how to live in the present. This novel is wide in scope, rich in the sharp telling details of everyday life, and Haddad is superb at evoking characters who are both unique and relatable in all their complex, layered humanness. Losing Face is a deeply affecting portrait of one family’s engagement with the moral complexities of contemporary Australia.’

‘A scathing testament on the failures and pleasures of multicultural Australia.’

‘Losing Face is a quintessential Australian story by a skilled and authentic storyteller. It’s a confronting yet tender exploration of masculinity and sexuality told from within a community that holds rigid expectations of both … This novel gives readers a unique glimpse into a world often spoken about but rarely spoken for, a world beyond highways and shopping malls, a world of love, loss and self-discovery.’

‘George Haddad's coming-of-age novel is my favourite so far to come out of Western Sydney. The protagonists Elaine and Joey are absolute charmers who still live rent free in my head.’

‘Racial profiling; class consciousness; casual misogyny; queerness; love and family loyalty. These are big topics and Haddad affords them appropriate gravity—but Losing Face is also sharply funny. The dialogue sings and spits.’