Come In Spinner

Name

The title refers to a phrase used in the Australian gambling game of two-up. "Come in spinner" is the call given by the game manager when all bets are placed and the coins are ready to be tossed.

Plot

The book tells the story of three women, Claire, Guinea, and Deb, who are co-workers in the beauty salon of an exclusive Sydney hotel. The story weaves together these characters with their familial and romantic relationships, as they struggle to manage the realities of working for the privileged upper classes, to whom no rules apply, while their own families cope with wartime deaths and losses, rationing, government manpower recruitment, and stiflingly conservative attitudes surrounding the role and perception of the "acceptable" behaviour of women.

Publication

The original novel was so controversial that it could only be published in abridged form. The characters' journeys cover such topics as abortion, adultery, prostitution and rape, as well as promiscuity and the black market. The book was restored to its original form by Florence James and republished in 1987, partly due to the interest caused by the development of a television adaptation of the book. Unfortunately Dymphna Cusack was not able to take part in this restoration or witness the renewed popularity of the novel, as she died in 1981.

Film and television

In the 1950s, film director Jack Lee expressed interest in making a movie out of the novel.

In 1989-90, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation made a television mini-series based on the novel, starring Lisa Harrow, Kerry Armstrong and Rebecca Gibney. It was well received by critics and audiences, and was released on DVD in 2005.