PositiveThe GuardianEva’s sovereign streak and an Arya Stark tomboyishness and disregard for authority gives The Strays its gripping tension and vitality. Her openly-voiced resentment towards her parents is a refreshing edge to Bitto’s convivial bohemian narrative. She is the most complex of all the novel’s characters?, and her journey through adolescence is told with ?impressive intensity ... Through her tale of a small artistic community ?more than 80 years ago, ?Bitto ?looks closely at the demise of family and the impact of loss. This story of bohemian living is about more than champagne and cigars; the strong bonds, bleak outcomes and moral struggles of its central female characters give? The Strays its substance.
