This vibrant, superbly crafted novel explores the elusive boundaries between existence and imagination, memory and truth. From the subtropical lushness of Queensland's Tamborine rainforest to the claustrophobic bedroom of a Boston physicist, Hospital's characters breathe an atmosphere of passion and suspense. Charade Ryan, an enigmatic story-spinning scheherazade, searches for a way to unravel the long-hold secrets of her family origins.

This vibrant, superbly crafted novel explores the elusive boundaries between existence and imagination, memory and truth.

From the subtropical lushness of Queensland's Tamborine Rainforest to the claustrophobic bedroom of a Boston physicist, Hospital's characters breathe an atmosphere of passion and suspense. Charade Ryan, an enigmatic story-spinning Scheherazade, searches for a way to unravel the long-held secrets of her family origins.

Charades was first released in 1988 and published in Australia, Canada, the United States, Great Britain, France, Spain and Holland. It received widespread award recognition, including shortlistings for the Miles Franklin Award, the NBC Banjo Award for Fiction and the Adelaide Festival Awards. It was also a New York Times 'Notable Book of the Year'.