Will I love The Animals in That Country?

There’s a lot of pandemic fiction, but rarely are they as creative and thrilling as this. The zooflu that rips through Australia allows people to talk to animals while they’re sick, and when it inches towards the family-run zoo at the heart of this novel, tensions rise and bonds are tested, especially between addict Jean, her granddaughter Kimberley, and prodigal son, Lee. 

The Animals in That Country has won numerous awards in Australia and was a breakout success in 2020. It’s a completely wild novel about a ‘zoo flu’ plague whose victims can suddenly ‘hear’ everything the animals around them say. The bad news is, the animals don’t like us much. The Animals is based on years of scientific enquiry into how animals think, feel, and communicate, and it’s a riveting, disturbing and hilarious read. If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the head of a kangaroo, now’s your chance.