The Cardboard Crown

With an introduction by Dr Brenda Niall

It is 1949, and Guy Langton’s house—like his family’s fortunes—has seen better days. The wealth and social standing that his grandparent’s generation enjoyed is all but gone. Only ageing uncles and half-remembered stories from childhood offer any insight into his family’s rise and fall over three generations.

But in his grandmother Alice’s diaries he uncovers more than just a story of a dynasty in decline. He finds a tale of England and Australia, a saga of deception, disappointment and loss. Most of all he discovers Alice’s inner life, as she is torn between the confines of family demands and the prospect of love and emotional truth in the winding streets of Rome. Alice emerges as one of the truly remarkable characters in Australian literature.

The Cardboard Crown is a forgotten classic, Martin Boyd’s indelible account of a vanished world.

Praise for The Cardboard Crown:

‘A rueful, cheerfully savage novel…lit with unearthly fires and enchantments.’

New York Times

‘A spirited and highly accomplished novel, done with the most engaging liveliness and intelligence.’

The Times

‘The grace and wit of his best writing, the subtlety with which he captures social nuances, and his placing of intimate family dramas against a broader social background, make Boyd quite individual as an Australian novelist.’

Australian