The Serpent's Skin by Erina Reddan (top 5 books to read .txt) 📕

I went the other way. I got out of the chair, picked up my plate, and dropped it in the sink. I held out my hand to Tye. He gripped it and together we went through the laundry, down the path, past the hole in the wall, got into the Austin.

Maybe this finally was a big enough truth to make a difference.

Your father forced your mother into a cheap backyard abortion and she bled out in some dark laneway, alone. But not unloved. Facts were funny things.

I looked at Tye and he looked back, bathing me in kindness. He turned his body so he could put his palm on my still-flat belly, a question mark in the press of it. I knew what he was asking. After all this, what life would I choose? Because we both knew I had that choice now. Mum died because she couldn’t get a decent abortion. I turned to face him too, trying to read what was in his heart. But in the end it didn’t matter. We both knew it wasn’t his decision to make. I shook my head. The smallest of movements. I had clear air now for the first time After Mum. I needed to do some breathing for me before I could do it for somebody else. He nodded. The smallest of acknowledgements. I dropped my hand over his, entwining my fingers. He squeezed back, eyes still deep in mine. We held together in that long moment, letting it stretch across time, then I reached for the gear stick.

‘Let’s get out of here.’

APPRECIATION

The Serpent’s Skin is a love song to the many unseen people who are layered into it. The incredible women and men of the world I grew up in, who struggled every day to make life possible. The women in particular, who are the focus of The Serpent’s Skin, who lived with such heart and courage, arms around each other. To my sisters and brother, Therese, Geraldine, Gillian, Patrick and Kate, who lived this world with me, weaving a dirt-raw kind of magic in it all through stories, the Saturday night play and the funny trash talk. To our true-grit parents, Kathleen and Garry, who waged an epic daily battle to keep us out of the wheat field, creek, underground tank, away from snakes, put food on the table and make our clothes.

I am so grateful to the people who laid out a path for me to arrive at this moment, either by backing my work, inspiring me, or suggesting a much better way of writing that sentence. Generous, smart and creative people like Toni Jordan, Alison Arnold, Antoni Jach, my agent, Fiona Inglis, and her Curtis Brown team, and my own fabulous team at Pantera Press, who are creatively inspired and passionate storytellers. Lex Hirst has the wizardry of getting directly to the gleaming gold motherlode in a story and the ability to help you widen it into all that it can be. Lucy Bell has the alchemy of a deep and intense focus that brings it all together. Special mentions, also, to the incredible word wranglers Kate O’Donnell and Rebecca Starford, and Alissa Dinallo, who designed such a gorgeous, sensual cover.

Big thanks to my beautiful, sharp-minded friends and colleagues in the writing world: The Secret Scribblers: Dee White, Karen Mcrea, Sue Yardley, Trudy Campbell, Christine Caley, Lou Mentor, Ian Robertson, Fiona White, Jodie Passmore, Kevin Childs and Trish Staig; The Writerlies: Ann Bolch, Rebecca Colless, Mary Delahunty, Ilka Tampke, Vivian Ulman; The Dodd St group: Caroline Petit, Lyndal Caffrey, Nick Gadd, Lisa Bigelow, Sarah Schmidt, Evelyn Tsitas, Stephen Mitchell; and my Masterclass mates: Anne Buist, Emily Collyer, Anna Dusk, Tasha Haines, Lisa Jacobs, Josh Lefers, Rocco Russo Clive Wansbrough, as well as Jenny Ackland, Serje Jones, Christina Stripp, Donna Ward, Geraldine Coren and Kimberly Duncan and many others who I’ve worked with through the magnificence of Writers Victoria. We create in unseen places moments of great depth and together we strive to make them more.

I’m blown away by the profound generosity of Graeme Simsion, Christos Tsiolkas, Toni Jordan, Sarah Macdonald, Sarah Schmidt and Elise McCredie, who took the considerable time and focus away from their own work to read The Serpent’s Skin and back it. The support of incredible writers, thinkers and storytellers like you all is one of the key reasons why Australian storytelling is still so vibrant, even given all the challenges. In the power of your work, in your contribution to the cultural conversation and in this kind of support you are a gift to us all.

I’m also grateful to my inspiring and deep-souled friends: Amanda Collinge, Susie Daniel, Clare Kermond and Cathy MacMahon, who went the extra mile to support me, as always, and bring The Serpent’s Skin into the world. Thanks also to the generous people who helped me with research on all kinds of random things like legal practice, funeral processes, canon law matters, and how to make friends with the social media beast.

Thanks to the people who keep my heart and soul nourished, laugh at me, and sometimes with me: the man of joy and wild ideas, my rock and home, Victor Del Rio; the deep thinking and sun-hearted Maya Del Rio Reddan; the whip-smart and sassy Alena Del Rio Reddan; the wise, hilarious and original, Andrea Rieniets; my avatar companion through life, Yolanda Romeo AKA Shiel; the clever and creative, Cathy Appleton; my “oldest friends” Karen Quinlan and Fran Barresi; my nieces, nephews, heart-adopted daughters and the wider Reddan tribe; las mujeres poderosas del Sindicato; and the rest of my Australian-Latino family; the joy-filled and loving tribu Del Rio; my gorgeous Sydney gang; the film crew; the Gaia Girls; the power coaches; the BBS; and my Macedon Ranges friends. For all that we are to each other both on the page and beyond, a big heart-expanding thank you.

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