Darkest Night, Brightest Star

What makes a good man? Morgan Pickford isn't sure yet, but he's doing his best to find out, even though it's complicated. A life-affirming YA novel about fractured families, tough talk, masculinity, finding friendship and overturning expectations from an internationally acclaimed, bestselling Australian author.
SHORTLISTED: 2026 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers
SHORTLISTED: 2026 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
LONGLISTED: 2026 Indie Book Awards, Young Adult Award

Two things that are true and one that is a lie:
I think my mother is dead and alive.
I think if I work hard I will be very good at something.
I've tried to please my dad but I don't think I ever will.

Thirteen-year-old Morgan lives with his dad and his older brother, Mitch. He hasn't heard from his mum since she left when he was two. He works hard on his football skills, striving to meet his father's high expectations and 'be a man'.

But what that means isn't always clear-cut. When Morgan makes a friend at school, gets injured in a game, and his long-lost mum turns up, everything changes. Then, when he meets an old woman in need of help, Morgan must decide what kind of man he wants to be.

Shining a timely and much-needed light on different kinds of masculinity, Darkest Night, Brightest Star is a unique and compelling novel from a masterful storyteller.

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