"Despite Johnno's assertion that Brisbane was absolutely the ugliest place in the world, I had the feeling as I walked across deserted intersections, past empty parks with their tropical trees all spiked and sharp-edged in the early sunlight, that it might even be beautiful ... " Johnno is a typical Australian who refuses to be typical. His disorderly presence can disturb the staleness of his home town or destroy the tranquillity of a Greek landscape. An affectionately outrageous portrait, David Malouf's first novel recreates the war-conscious forties, the pubs and brothels of the fifties, and the years away treading water overseas.
'The sweetest, most delicious book . . . Such a gorgeous love story' Marian Keyes 'Funny and heartwarming with great characters' Reader review 5 stars 'Absolutely gorgeous, swoon worthy romance' Reader review 5 stars Second chances never go out of style... Sophy Stevens always thought she would have everything sorted by the time she was thirty. Instead, she is freshly fired, recently dumped and sleeping on her mum's sofa. So when her absent dad offers her a job at his vintage clothes shop in Primrose Hill, it's one she can't refuse. It will only be for a few months until she is back on her feet, after all. But the Vintage Dress Shop is more magical than she could have even imagined, full of preloved fashion from a 1950s wedding dress to the glittering gems sourced by jeweller Charles. In spite of herself, Sophy starts to fall in love with the store and the process of matching the perfect item with every customer. With each new treasure Sophy uncovers, she begins to wonder if, like these vintage clothes, the store is the key to her second chance... and then there's Charles, who might just end up mending her broken heart... Let Annie Darling sweep you off your feet with this heartwarming and romantic novel, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley. Everyone is falling in love with Annie Darling: 'Heartwarming and compelling. A wonderful read which was difficult to put down... Great characters and a lovely romantic story which touches the heart' Reader review 5 stars 'The most uplifting, sumptuously indulgent, romantic joy of a book... It tugged all my heartstrings and held me captive until the last, perfect page' Cressida McLaughlin 'An absolute delight! I also loved the debonair love interest... It was so nice to see someone pick themselves up and rise from the ashes in such beautiful surroundings surrounded by all these amazing clothes, I loved it!' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is the feel good book you must read... With an array of fabulous characters and the perfect ending that made me squeal with delight this warm and charming story will have you enchanted' Nina Pottell
Jack Doyle is an enigma; an engaging larrikin who lives life on the edge and plays by his own rules. Haunted by grief and guilt; Jack seeks absolution in all the wrong places. An ex digger, he saw action in Afghanistan and came home with the sort of wounds that do not bleed. The army had taught him to kill but he feared that it was the darkness inside him that had made him a killer. The army takes young men and trains them to survive in the hostile environment of a war-zone Here they are asked, in the name of duty, to witness and participate in the unspeakable. But when they come home and struggle to slide back into the niche society has waiting for them; they feel condemned for their inability to conform. Hence they find themselves often confined to the fringes of society, forever outcasts in a land they swore to protect. Rachel Collins is strong, independent and passionate; a healer by nature as well as profession. Moving to the beautiful Tasmanian countryside to fulfill her ambitions as a rural vet, she did not count on having a neighbour like Jack Doyle. The more she learns about him the less she can reconcile his generous spirit with the personal demons that threaten his sanity. . Perhaps it is only her unconditional love that will provide the sanctuary he seeks and save him from his greatest enemy - himself?
THE SUSPENSE-FILLED CONCLUSION TO THE BLACK SPIRAL TRILOGY Violet and Johnno have escaped the Foundation’s compounds. Reunited, they need somewhere safe for the three of them to hide: Violet, Johnno and their unborn child. Beat. Heartbeat. One, two, three. I only just became aware of the third today, just another complication in an impossible situation. The Foundation is particularly keen to get its hands on the baby. Is freedom an impossible dream?
LIBRARY OF DREAMS interprets and celebrates a diverse selection of treasures from the rich and varied collections of the National Library of Australia. The book examines over 50 of the most popular items, page by page, in the Library's collections, including: James Cook's Endeavour journal; William Bligh's notebook and list of mutineers; The only surviving Australian convict uniform; The original manuscript of 'Waltzing Matilda'; William John Wills' diary; Jorn Utzon's models for the design of the Sydney Opera House; The manuscripts relating to the trial of Lindy Chamberlain Beautifully illustrated throughout, this souvenir publication examines what makes a national treasure and inspires readers to take a closer look at what libraries reveal about Australia's heritage. The publication will appeal to a broad range of readers, in particular those with an interest in Australian history and anyone who loves beautiful, rare objects and appreciates Australian culture.
Susan Hill—the Man Booker Prize nominee and winner of the Whitbread, Somerset Maugham, and John Llewellyn Rhys awards—returns with a gripping new novel, the latest chapter in one of the most acclaimed mystery series of our time. From the outside, the cathedral town of Lafferton seems idyllic, but in many ways it is just like any other place. It suffers from the same kinds of crime, is subject to the same pressures from a rapidly changing world, and has the same hopes and fears as any number of towns up and down the land. When Simon Serrailler is called in by Lafferton’s new Chief Constable, Kieran Bright, he is met by two plainclothes officers, who ask him to take the principal role in a difficult, potentially dangerous undercover operation. He must leave town immediately, without telling anyone—not even his girlfriend Rachel, who has only just moved in with him. Meanwhile, Simon's sister Cat is facing difficult choices at work, as Lafferton’s hospice closes its bedded units—and at home, as her daughter is presented with a glittering opportunity that they would have to struggle to afford. And all is not well with Simon and Cat's stepmother, Judith, either. To complete his special operation, Simon must inhabit the mind of the worst kind of criminal. This takes its toll on Simon and—as the investigation unfolds—also on the town and some of its most respected citizens.
What do you do when your mother falls ill and is sent to a rest home, and your father is away working on the Great Ocean Road? How do you survive when the only things you have are the clothes on your back and the promise you made to keep your family together? For Isa Wyatt, there's only one thing she can do. She gathers together her brothers and her sister, packs an old pram with their belongings, and sets off to find her father. It is a long walk, and the children have to face the dangers and hardships of a country suffering the Depression. But on their journey, Isa soon learns that most people will give everything they have to help a small, courageous family survive. And some will do anything to stop them.
Don Randall’s comprehensive study situates Malouf within the field of contemporary international and postcolonial writing, but without losing sight of the author’s affiliation with Australian contexts. The book presents an original reading of Malouf, finding the unity of his work in the continuity of his ethical concerns: for Malouf, human lives find their value in transformations, specifically in instances of self-overcoming that encounters with difference or otherness provoke. However, the book is fully aware of, and informed by, the quite ample body of criticism on Malouf, and thus provides readers with a broad-based understanding of how Malouf’s works have been received and assessed. It is an effective companion volume for studies in postcolonial or Australian literature, for any study project in which Malouf figures prominently.
Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands; Curtsied when you have and kiss’d, The wild waves whist. He was so good at Serious Matters but the trouble was people never took him seriously, let alone kept dying around him. Nor did it help that he was the wrong person in his body, such that the precocious girl-child who claimed to be the better fit kept nagging him while they bobbed along the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean. He shouldn’t have shouted ‘Left!’ when it should have been ‘Right!’ to send his Humvee into an Afghani roadside bomb. He shouldn’t have left his darling wife and bubba-to-be alone in their Queenslander while he dabbled in giving witness to the whole of Sydney’s woes. He should have honoured his Sri Lankan heritage and his becoming-Australian more. He should have popped some pill or whatever to get rid of the Bard. He shouldn’t have married himself to the problem of the Australian Aborigines in its sexier form and its sweeter siren songs, only to find there are no words left -- only the shuffle within the dandruff drifts of falling cigarette ash. His Petey-the-clown’s plaffy shoes didn’t help his image, either. In fact, he wasn’t embedded in anything at all. He was merely bobbing along with the washes. And, concerning calm surfaces, very sloppily too. Plus, there were too many snakes in the world.
