This vibrant, superbly crafted novel explores the elusive boundaries between existence and imagination, memory and truth. From the subtropical lushness of Queensland's Tamborine Rainforest to the claustrophobic bedroom of a Boston physicist, Hospital's characters breathe an atmosphere of passion and suspense. Charade Ryan, an enigmatic story-spinning Scheherazade, searches for a way to unravel the long-held secrets of her family origins.  Charades was first released in 1988 and published in Australia, Canada, the United States, Great Britain, France, Spain and Holland. It received widespread award recognition, including shortlistings for the Miles Franklin Award, the NBC Banjo Award for Fiction and the Adelaide Festival Awards. It was also a New York Times 'Notable Book of the Year'.  'Hospital writes with luminous wit and ripe sensuality.' Los Angeles Times  'Charades makes you look at the world around you differently, and that is always exciting, even disturbing.' Weekend Australian  'Her writing here simply hums and crackles with pace and tension.' The Age  ' . . . the only certainty in this novel is its astonishing brilliance.' Toronto Star