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"After a car crash kills three of his friends, but leaves him unscathed, Lech Blaine struggles to survive his trauma, grief, and the impulse to mask his feelings on social media in this powerful memoir about recovering from a tragic accident. On a May night in 2009, seven boys piled into one car. They never arrived at their destination. The driver made a routine error, leading to a head-on collision. Three of the passengers were killed and two left in comas, but seventeen-year-old Lech Blaine walked away unscathed. In the aftermath, rumours about drunk driving erupted in Lech's small town. There was intense scrutiny from the media and police. Lech used alcohol to numb his trauma and social media to show the male stoicism he had grown up with, all while secretly spiraling towards depression and shame. This is a riveting account of family, friendship, grief, and love after tragedy. In a tight-knit community where class and sport dominate, and in a media landscape where car crashes compete with floods and pandemics for headlines, Lech shows that our connection with others is what propels us on. Heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, Car Crash is a story for our times."--
About the author
Lech Blaine is a writer originally from Toowoomba, Australia. In 2009, he survived a fatal head-on collision that killed three of his friends. Lech’s work has been published widely, including in the
Guardian, the
Monthly,
Best Australian Essays,
Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin, and the
Griffith Review. He lives in Sydney.
Summary
In the aftermath of a traumatic event, a young man navigates small-town gossip, grief and recovery amidst a culture of toxic masculinity. “A heart-soaring act of literary bravery,” Car Crash is a hopeful, raw coming-of-age story for our times (Trent Dalton).
“Bruisingly insightful.”—The Guardian • “Delivers from the first arresting page.”—Inside Story • “Moving, lyrical, warmly told and very funny.”—Brooke Davis, author of Lost & Found • “Shines with a fierce intelligence.”—Kristina Olsson, author of Shell
Why did he get to live, and not them? This question has plagued Lech Blaine ever since he was a teenager, when he got into a car that never arrived at its destination. Of his crew of friends who were in the car, Blaine was the only passenger who made it out unscathed. In the aftermath of the accident that sent shockwaves through his small town, Blain was thrust into the local spotlight, fielding questions from journalists, police, and feeling pressure to perform his grief in public and on social media. In a community where men were expected to be strong and silent, Blaine felt that he had no one to turn to with his complicated emotions.
In Car Crash, Blaine offers an intimate, brave account of what it’s like to survive a tragedy that others didn’t––and a moving portrait of a young person struggling to define his own masculinity. Blaine was raised to believe that being masculine meant projecting toughness, stoicism, and dominance, and this belief leads him to alcohol and disordered eating to cope with his pain. But as Blaine finally learns to open up with family, friends, and a therapist, he comes to realize the meaning of true strength, and the power of vulnerability to bring hope and healing.
“Some books just have to be written. And some books just have to be read.”—Trent Dalton, author of Boy Swallows Universe
Foreword
- Extensive galley send
- International publicity campaign
- Digital and print advertising
- Promotion on Edelweiss
- Social media campaign; influencer outreach
