**A New Yorker best book of 2025 so far“Arnott has an astonishing facility with language, and his prose imbues the Tasmanian wilderness with an extraordinary, immanent beauty . . . Starkly beautiful and deeply felt.” —James Bradley, The Guardian"This is a propulsive novel of survival and betrayal, enriched by arresting depictions of nature." —The Economist"Arresting . . . Readers will be utterly captivated by this atmospheric tale of dange...

"Astonishing...With the intensity of a perfect balance between the mythic and the real, The Rain Heron keeps turning and twisting, taking you to unexpected places. A deeply emotional and satisfying read. Beautifully written." --Jeff VanderMeer, author of Borne. One of LitHub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021.A gripping novel of myth, environment, adventure, and an unlikely friendship, from an award-winning Australian author

A gripping novel of myth, environment, adventure, and an unlikely friendship, from an award-winning Australian author.Ren lives alone on the remote frontier of a country devastated by a coup d'état. High on the forested slopes, she survives by hunting, farming, trading, and forgetting the contours of what was once a normal life. But her quiet stability is disrupted when an army unit, led by a young female soldier, comes to the mountains on government orders in sear...

Ren lives alone on the remote frontier of a country devastated by a coup. High on the forested slopes, she survives by hunting and trading - and forgetting. But when a young soldier comes to the mountains in search of a legendary creature, Ren is inexorably drawn into an impossible mission. As their lives entwine, unravel and erupt - as myth merges with reality - both Ren and the soldier are forced to confront what they regret, what they love, and what they fear.A vibrant homage to...