The Golden Age — Joan London

Title: The Golden Age
Author: Joan London
Publisher: Vintage (Random House Australia)
ISBN: 9781741666441
Binding: Paperback

Edition: 2014 (Vintage Australia edition)

Condition: Good second-hand condition. Light creasing to cover and spine, with minor surface wear. Pages clean and intact.

A critically acclaimed Australian novel set in 1950s Perth, centred around a children’s polio convalescent home. The story follows Frank Gold, a young refugee from Hungary, as he recovers from illness and forms a complex emotional bond with another patient, Elsa.

Explores themes of illness, isolation, migration, and first love, set against a distinctly Australian backdrop. The “Golden Age” becomes a contained world where children confront both physical recovery and emotional awakening.

Written in a restrained, precise style, Joan London balances intimacy with broader reflections on displacement and belonging. Widely praised for its clarity and emotional depth.