The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
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On May 24, 2015, CloggieDownunder said
“The tin roof of the Italian’s hut flashed like a semaphore at the clouds scudding over the moon, smoky white clouds, fraying at the edges, with deep purple bellies” The Paperbark Shoe is the first novel by West Australian-born novelist and short story writer, Goldie Goldbloom. It won the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Award for Fiction in 2008, and the Literary Novel of the Year from the ForeWord Magazine (Independent Publishers) in 2011. In 1943, Italian Prisoners of War were sent out to work on West Australian farms, a welcome source of labour at a time when able-bodied men were away at war. Antonio and Gianpaolo arrive at Mr Toad’s farm on the Cemetery Road, five miles west of Wyalkatchem, dressed in their maroon-dyed uniforms. This remote holding (“On one side of us stands the uninhabited coast, thousands of rocky miles patrolled by sharks, and on the other stands the vast, appalling desert of the great red centre, studded with the bones of animals and men that have strayed there and melted into the earth”) is home to Gin Toad, albino, prize-winning pianist, mother of three and two months pregnant; and Toadie, known for his collection of women’s corsets. Both misfits in society, together for reasons that never included love. When Antonio flatters Gin with attention and compliments, her attention is drawn to Toadie’s shortcomings: “I can hear him now, his voice so like the croaking of a frog in a bucket, his deep sniffs punctuating each sentence”. The nature of their marriage irritates her more than ever: “He never touched me in the daytime, in the light, that man who ran his hands so tenderly over the horses, who touched his nose to their velvet muzzles and murmured to them as he gazed into their eyes. He had it in him, a capacity for love. But he hid it from me” Goldbloom’s plot goes where expected, but with a twist. Her characters are a breed apart: many are quirky, all are in some way flawed, and while this can be endearing, the only truly appealing character in this tale is young Alfie. All the rest are selfish, some to an appalling degree. Her descriptive prose is beautiful and she certainly captures the feel of the West Australian desert and the small town attitudes of the 1940s. An outstanding debut.
Available Copies
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Paperback
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
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NZ$48.63
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Picador Paper, 2011. Paperback. Good. 2011. 373 pages. Signed by the author. Beige pictorial paperback. Flat signed by Author. Pages are lightly tanned and thumbed at the edges, with light foxing. Binding has remained firm. Paper cover is lightly rub worn and thumbed with light shelf wear to edges and corners. Light creases to corners and spine. Light… Read more about this item Item Price
NZ$48.63
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
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NZ$10.43
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Picador, 2011. Paperback. Acceptable. Disclaimer:Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
NZ$10.43
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
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NZ$10.43
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Picador USA, 2011. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
NZ$10.43
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
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Frederick, Maryland, USA
- Item Price
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NZ$11.33
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Picador Paper. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Item Price
NZ$11.33
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- New
- Edition
- 1st Edition.
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Soft cover
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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Highland Park, Illinois, USA
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NZ$19.90
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Picador Paper, 2011. 1st Edition. . Soft cover. New.
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NZ$19.90
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Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- 2010
- Quantity Available
- 1
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Luddenham, New South Wales, AUS
- Item Price
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NZ$29.02
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London: Fremantle Press, 2010. Used. Set in 1940s Australia, The Paperbark Shoe is a remarkable novel about the far-reaching repercussions of war, the subtle violence of displacement, and what it means to live as a captive - in enemy country, and in one's own skin.
From 1941 to 1947, eighteen thousand Italian prisoners of war were sent to Australia.… Read more about this item Item Price
NZ$29.02
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
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- Used - Very Good
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- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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NZ$13.58
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Paperback. Very Good. Item Price
NZ$13.58
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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- 1
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Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
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NZ$11.61
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Picador, 2011. Book. Very Good. Trade Paperback. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. trade paperback with light wear-------------italians, Australia...........war, displacement and what it means to live as a captive. Item Price
NZ$11.61
The Paperbark Shoe: A Novel
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Published
- 2011-03-29
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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Houston, Texas, USA
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NZ$9.42
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Picador, 2011-03-29. paperback. Acceptable. 5x1x8. Item Price
NZ$9.42
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used: Good
- Published
- 2011-03-29
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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HOUSTON, Texas, USA
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NZ$12.92
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Picador, 2011-03-29. Paperback. Used: Good. Item Price
NZ$12.92
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
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Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
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NZ$11.96
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Picador. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
NZ$11.96
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldie Goldbloom
- Condition
- Used:Good
- Published
- 2011-03-29
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
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HOUSTON, Texas, USA
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NZ$36.93
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Picador, 2011-03-29. Paperback. Used:Good. Item Price
NZ$36.93
The Paperbark Shoe : A Novel
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
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Dunfermline, Fife, GBR
- Item Price
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NZ$12.67
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Pan Macmillan. Used - Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Item Price
NZ$12.67
The Paperbark Shoe: A Novel
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 2011-03-29
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Item Price
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NZ$9.42
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Picador, 2011-03-29. paperback. Good. 5x1x8. Item Price
NZ$9.42
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- New
- Published
- 2011-03-29
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
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San Diego, California, USA
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NZ$131.55
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Picador Paper, 2011-03-29. Paperback. New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! Item Price
NZ$131.55
The Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- New
- Published
- 2011
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
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Exeter, Devon, GBR
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NZ$56.33
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Picador USA, 2011. Paperback. New. reprint edition. 373 pages. 8.50x5.75x1.00 inches. Item Price
NZ$56.33
Paperbark Shoe
by Goldbloom, Goldie
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780312674502
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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Newport Coast, California, USA
- Item Price
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NZ$64.22
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Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. Item Price
NZ$64.22