Australian author Madeleine Gray, celebrated for her award-winning debut Green Dot, returns with a compelling new novel that delves into the complex, life-altering bond between two women. Chosen Family is a smart and witty exploration of friendship, love, and the blurred lines that define modern relationships.
A Lifelong Bond Tested by Time and Truth
The narrative follows Nell and Eve, who meet at the age of 12 at a girls' school in Sydney. Gray masterfully moves the story between the 2000s and the present day, much like David Nicholls' One Day, revealing the characters' lives through pivotal moments. We witness the pressures of high school, the liberating chaos of university, and the profound challenges of early parenthood.
From the outset, a central mystery grips the reader: although Nell and Eve co-parent a young daughter, Nell is mysteriously absent. This unanswered question of what went wrong—who betrayed whom, and if it can be mended—drives the narrative forward with palpable tension.
The Evolution of Identity and Intimacy
Their friendship begins with Nell, a lonely child from a wealthy but emotionally distant family, and Eve, a new girl with a flaky single mother. They become instant allies, yet the cruel social dynamics of their school force them apart. Years later at university, Eve begins to embrace her queer identity, a journey Gray depicts with vitality and excitement.
Eve navigates new friendships and explores lesbian sexuality, asking pointed questions about gay bar etiquette. However, she guards her heart closely. When a subdued Nell re-enters her life, their reunion is fraught with unspoken questions about the true nature of their feelings. Are they simply friends, or is there something deeper?
Redefining Family and Facing Fear
The novel's central, radical premise emerges when Eve proposes they have a child together as friends, using sperm from a gay male housemate. Despite reservations, Nell agrees, and they embark on creating a chosen family. This act pushes their relationship into uncharted territory, challenging traditional narratives of love and partnership.
Gray astutely examines the terror of risking a foundational friendship for something more. Both characters are haunted by the myth of Medusa—a metaphor for the petrifying fear of being truly seen and potentially rejected. They conceal their deepest fears, knowing the stakes of their unconventional family are unbearably high.
In the tradition of novels like Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You, which treats female friendship with the intensity of a romance, Chosen Family places a profound love between women at its core. It is a brilliantly sharp and readable book about parenting, lust, self-deception, and the cruelties we inflict on those closest to us. Ultimately, it asks if we can find newer, more honest ways to love.
Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray is published by W&N (£20).
