The Nail House (Fairlight Moderns)

By Gregory Baines

Lindon, an Australian project manager with a failed marriage behind him, is lured to China with the promise of a lucrative salary. His task: to solve the problem of a ‘Nail House’, the home of a stubborn old man who refuses to relocate, even as the bulldozers move in and the skyscrapers grow around him. But as Lindon negotiates with the old man’s family, he finds sense where there is none. And love where there is war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fairlight Books
• Release date: Aug 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781912054978

Gregory Baines

Originally from Sydney, Gregory Baines moved to China in 2001 where he spent thirteen years as an English teacher. During this time, he became a short story writer, publishing collections with other writers. In his last years there, he started The Nail House, much of it inspired by his experiences living in China. Returning to Australia a few years ago, Gregory now lives in a small country village outside Canberra.

Reviews for The Nail House (Fairlight Moderns)

[auntmarge64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young, recently divorced Australian takes a high-paying job in China with one assignment: convince an old man, the last home owner in the path of a planned high-rise, to sell his house. Lindon knows no Chinese and seems ignorant of Chinese business practices, but he gives it his best shot, and in the meantime he meets the man's soon-to-be-married daughter and falls in love with her. Complications definitely ensue.I did wonder if it's likely Lindon would have been hired for such a job, but his white face may have been a factor. The story itself is interesting and enjoyable, but with an ending that also seemed unlikely. However, my own familiarity with Chinese ways and with the current situation on the ground there is limited, so who's to say? I can say the novella was enjoyable and stayed with me, and that's a positive result for fiction.