Why do some children grow up into happy lives, and others never make it?
Brendan James Murray’s childhood was one of stark contrasts: vivid imaginative adventures but also disadvantage, fear and the shadow of a school he spent months refusing to attend.
When a silhouette on a freeway overpass forces him to confront the ghosts of his own childhood, he has a defining realisation about the extraordinary power of imagination to transform lives, and the degree to which it has been neglected.
Childhood is a vital and deeply personal investigation into how we can help children find their place in the world, drawn from Brendan’s profound and unique perspective as a child, teacher and parent.
This haunting, uplifting memoir is a must-read for everyone seeking to understand how the crucial and overlooked absence of a rich inner life in childhood echoes through all our adult years.
From the acclaimed author of The School: the ups and downs of one year in the classroom.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Imprint: Picador Australia
Publication date: 12/05/2026
