Description

Raymond Moult-Spiers, an eccentric Australian artist and WWII veteran, writes to the author, claiming to be a long-lost relative. Intrigued, the young Julie replies, sparking decades of correspondence.

Raymond's letters are extraordinary but enigmatic, leaving only a fragmented picture of Raymond's tumultuous childhood as an orphan, his harrowing experiences as a soldier and prisoner of war during WWII, and his years as a reclusive artist on Stradbroke Island. Twenty years after Raymond's mysterious death, Julie is reunited with a briefcase of his letters and paintings. She begins to research her elusive great-uncle, piecing together the traumas that shaped his life and his art, and ultimately discovering his war diaries, his poetry, and his hidden children.

What emerges is a poignant exploration of identity, legacy, and the lasting echoes of war and creativity across generations.