St Kilda is home to a vital community of free-thinking individuals, and Merrill Findlay introduces an exotic cavalcade of characters. As they work and love and play, Marie and her friends explore alternative ways of living in their threatened inner-city environment. In doing so they question the philosophical basis of much contemporary western thought, rejecting the tenets of Plato's ideal republic and its continuing hold on the politics of today. The shared joys and tragedies of their daily lives are interwoven with a rich plentitude of stories and myths from the past, in a compelling narrative that culminates in an emotionally and satisfying finale.
