Staggeringly good Australian novel about a group of friends and family and the aftermath when one of them slaps another's child at a backyard barbecue. Each chapter is about a different person in the group and their perspective on the event, and the story unfolds as each character is explored (not in a Rashomon way--the story just keeps progressing through the book). Amazing character writing--incredibly insightful into so many characters and their relationships. Just beautifully written and fascinating.
Also, loved the multiculturalism of the characters and how much of their characters are linked to their cultural heritage--an idea that doesn't come up that much in American literary fiction (not without making a big stinking deal about it). Amazing, absorbing, insightful.
