In a small town dominated by a haze cloud, which heralds both an ecological catastrophe and a gathering of the ancestors, a crazed visionary seeks out donkeys as the solution to the global climate crisis and the economic dependency of the Aboriginal people. His wife seeks solace from his madness in following the dance of butterflies and scouring the internet to find out how she can seek repatriation for her Aboriginal/Chinese family to China. One of their sons, called Aboriginal Sovereignty, is determined to commit suicide. The other, Tommyhawk, wishes his brother dead so that he can pursue his dream of becoming white and powerful.

This is a story which pushes allegory and language to its limits, a cry of outrage against oppression and disadvantage, and a fable for the end of days.

2023, Queensland Literary Awards, Winner

2023, Queensland Premier’s Literary Award, Short-listed

2024, Stella Prize, Long-listed

2024, Australian Book Design Awards, Short-listed

2024, Dublin Literary Award, Short-listed

2024, The James Tate Black Prize Fiction, Winner

2024, NSW Premier's Literary Awards Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, Short-listed

2024, Miles Franklin Literary Award, Winner

2024, ALS Gold Medal, Winner

2024, Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award, Long-listed

2024, Voss Literary Prize, Short-listed