The Brothers Wolfe
The infamous WA Inc era of 1980s Perth provides the backdrop for the triumphs and travails of the Wolfe clan. Corporate empires rise and fall; families thrive then fracture. Almost three decades later there is a reconciliation of sorts between the long-estranged brothers.
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Paperback: RRP $29.99
Available as E-book
Published 2023, PP 336
ISBN 9781760992262
The 1980s became known as the era of WA Inc, a time when the lines between the worlds of politics and business became dangerously blurred.
Two brothers are reunited in Perth as this new decade dawns. Elliot Wolfe has just arrived back from dubious European adventures; he is ambitious, ruthless and living for the thrill of the deal. Athol is a decade younger, just out of school, deeply uncertain about his place in the world, trying to find a future. Add to the mix a great-aunt with a long memory, and a mild-mannered father reluctant to bring the family menswear business into the modern world. Bind them all together in a family trust, and throw them into a melting pot of greedy entrepreneurs and high-flying criminals. Add a big, dark family secret, and a sexy French girlfriend with dreams of her own – and watch it all explode.
The triumphs and the travails of the Wolfe clan unfold in a city where the entrepreneurs are heroes, and their madness goes unchecked. But there are always prices to be paid, be they those near and dear, or the numerous innocent victims.
From the author
This book was a long time in the making. It includes material from a short story about Great-aunt Ida’s adventures in the Kimberley that was published back in 1993.
I’d always wanted to write something dealing with the WA Inc era, as I found the politics and the social dynamics of the time fascinating. I was both appalled and fascinated by the mad entrepreneurs; by the seemingly insatiable need to become ever bigger, ever richer. Why was enough never enough?
I came across two quotes which became epigraphs for the book, that in a sense summed it up for me:
“Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully or write poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.”
“To understand the entrepreneur you first have to understand the psychology of the juvenile delinquent.”
If these two could be used to help understand older brother Elliot, the third epigraph, which comes from a 1970s Alan Price song, could almost be used as young brother Athol’s theme song.
“If knowledge hangs around your neck
Like pearls instead of chains,
You are a lucky man.”
For every winner, there must, by definition, be a loser. The novel does seek to understand the entrepreneur, but it is also an attempt to examine the inevitable consequences and fallout from the entrepreneur’s greed.
Reviews
“Hawke presents an insightful critique of the relationship between entrepreneurship and politics. The result is a rich and intriguing combination of family saga, historical novel and social commentary. Donald Trump pops up more than once in this compelling and surprising tale, and while it’s grounded in the WA Inc milieu of Perth during the 1980s, its lessons are far-reaching.”
“Steve Hawke’s The Brothers Wolfe is, quite simply, a love letter to Western Australia. Painted with the soft brush of fond nostalgia, the novel follows the lives of two brothers, Elliot and Athol, as they navigate inherited business dealings, family conflicts and falling in love with strong, often unyielding women. This novel is an exciting family saga chocked full of secrets, high stakes deals and emotional turmoil … His characters are tantalisingly real, and are offered up to their readers as flawed, complicated and often downright mean … The heart of what Hawke delivers, though, is the fact that, despite the many ways these characters let one another down or intentionally hurt one another, they love each other and are willing to work to look out for one another. That is family.”
You can read the full review from The Westerly Magazine here.
“The story is beautifully written, insightful, and loaded with twists and turns that grab the reader’s attention. Hawkes’ writing is stellar, his narrative voice compelling, and filled with emotional depth. The Western Australian business trade including real-life characters and places are weaved nicely into the storyline.”
“A beautiful told family saga of relationships and the impact family members have on each other. Tragic, breathtaking, haunting! Highly recommended.”