The Brave

By NICHOLAS EVANS

RRP: $39.99, TPB, Little, Brown

Powerful, epic and heart-wrenching, The Brave is Nicholas Evans’ most ambitious novel yet.

The motto of the boarding school to which Tommy Bedford is dispatched is Fortune Favours the Brave. It's 1959 and the school bristles with bullies and sadistic staff. Tommy, a quirky loner, obsessed with cowboys and Indians, needs all the bravery he can summon. Salvation comes when his glamorous actress sister is swept off to Hollywood by one of his heroes, TV cowboy Ray Montane. They move to Hollywood and all his dreams seem to have come true. Soon, however, the sinister side of Tinseltown will cast its shadow and a shocking act of violence changes lives forever. Years later what happened remains a secret that corrodes Tom’s adult life and wrecks his marriage. Only when his estranged son is facing court martial following a tour of duty in Iraq, is he forced to confront his demons. As he struggles to save his son’s life, he will learn the true meaning of bravery.

This is a remarkable novel that is both a stand against injustice and a search for redemption. Bullies, movie stars and murder collide as Nicholas Evans explores our quest for love and identity, the fallibility of heroes and the devastating effects of family secrets in his new novel. Spanning 50 years The Brave effortlessly moves from the 50s and 60s to the present day as a dark secret is finally brought to light.

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