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Australia’s Second World War #2: Haywire – The Dunera Boys

2020 - Shortlisted

Shortlisted

Judges' comments

Haywire is a gripping historical novel for young adults. Set in World War II, and moving between Hay in rural New South Wales and Europe in the frantic early stages of the war, Claire Saxby’s wonderful story brings 14-year-old Tom Hanlan together with Max Gruber, a German refugee. This impressive historical novel uses their unlikely friendship to explore enduring themes of adolescence, family, war and migration.

Saxby’s book is richly imagined and convincingly inhabits the minds and lives of these two teenagers at a moment in history. Switching between the perspectives of the two boys, the story moves forward with an energetic tempo that conjures the urgency and anxiety of lives in war. But it also shows that even in extraordinary times, there’s still friendship, boredom and fun. Saxby never takes her readers for granted, bringing them along for the ride. Haywire is a creative, original contribution to Australian history.