Flames (novel)

Lore & Background

The novel opens two days after siblings Levi and Charlotte McAllister spread their mother Edith's ashes in Notley Fern Gorge; she returns to life, walks to their father Jack's house, and self-immolates on his front lawn. Charlotte grows paranoid that the same may happen to her, while Levi resolves to build her a coffin strong enough to prevent her return after burial. Charlotte flees upon discovering his plans, traveling across Tasmania to a wombat farm in Melaleuca, where she works and eventually develops a romance with a fellow farmhand, Nicola.

Levi hires a detective to locate Charlotte and contacts coffin maker Thurston Hough, who claims to have killed a water rat—actually the Esk God—whose pelt grants confidence. Hough cannot finish the coffin because animals terrorize him in retaliation. Levi retrieves the half-finished coffin and pelt, finding Hough dead. Jack reveals himself to be an ancient fire spirit who influenced Edith to love him; she left him upon discovering this. Charlotte, producing flames from her body, learns that only Nicola's touch prevents them. The siblings reunite at Notley Fern Gorge, where Charlotte's uncontrolled flames ignite the forest. A downpour—the Cloud God's grief for the Esk God—extinguishes the fire. Levi later finds new meaning in life after diving into a river and uniting with a seal pup.

Reader's Guide

Flames is significant as a debut novel that blends magical realism with elements of crime fiction, thriller, romance, comedy, and eco-literature, creating what has been described as a 'flaming new world.' Arnott wrote each chapter from a different character's perspective—ranging from first-person to epistolary—to keep the narrative fresh and to capture the wild Tasmanian environment. The novel deliberately omits the word 'Tasmania,' as Arnott felt it was unnecessary for readers to recognize the setting. Its central themes of love, grief, family, and the natural world are explored through a plot that intertwines human emotion with mythological deities and animal spirits. The work's legacy includes winning the Margaret Scott Prize in 2019 and being recognized by multiple literary awards, establishing Arnott as a distinctive voice in Australian literature.

Did You Know?

• Each chapter is written from a different character's perspective, ranging from first-person to epistolary.
• The novel deliberately never uses the word 'Tasmania'.
• The Esk God and Cloud God are deities in the novel, with the Cloud God grieving the Esk God's death.
• Arnott was inspired by the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires when centering the novel around fire and flames.