WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN/VOGEL'S LITERARY AWARD

'A parable wrapped in melodrama, Kruimink's narrative deftly balances slapstick misadventure and foreboding ... the ramshackle quality only adds to the charm and eccentric joy of the whole ... A Treacherous Country has perfect pitch.' - Geordie Williamson, The Weekend Australian

'A witty, cracking tale set in Van Diemen's Land in the 1840s.' - Australian Book Review

Gabriel Fox, the young son of an old English house, arrives in a land both ancient and new.

Drawn by the promise of his heart's desire, and compelled to distance himself from pain at home, Gabriel begins his quest into Van Diemen's Land.

His guide, a Cannibal who is not all he seems, leads him north where Gabriel might free himself of his distracting burden and seek the woman he must find. As Gabriel traverses this wild country, he uncovers new truths buried within his own memory.


Original and playful, A Treacherous Country is a novel of loyalty, wisdom and the freedom to act.

'Warm and lively ... a witty Tasmanian Moby Dick.' - Tegan Bennett Daylight, acclaimed author of The Details