Parrot and Olivier in America

"Olivier" by Peter Carey follows the intertwined lives of Olivier, a traumatized child of aristocratic French survivors, and Parrot, a son of an itinerant English printer, as their paths cross in the early United States. Through shifting perspectives, the novel explores their adventures in love, politics, and society, revealing the development of an unlikely friendship. Set against the backdrop of American democracy, the story combines personal struggles with larger historical themes in a richly inventive narrative.