I’m supposed to be making good use of a week off work by catching up on a backlog of emails and reviews, reading and some long overdue blog maintenance. Instead, I’ve been distracted from these tasks by feeds heralding the release of some wonderful historical
Showing posts with label Random musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random musings. Show all posts
148 Years Ago Today ...
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| Dust jacket 1965 |
This revelation sent me off in search of my much-loved copy of this book, a Christmas present I received when I was eleven years old.
My edition was published in 1965, by Bancroft & Co. (Publishers) London, and except for the foxing around the edges of the pages is still in very good condition.
At some point in the last fifty years, the book and its dust jacket parted company, but I did find an image of it on the internet. Seeing it again brought back some wonderful memories and some sad ones of my last ever Christmas spent in England.
I've read all the sequels: Good Wives, Little Men and Jo's Boys, but Little Women will always be my favourite book about the March family.
Do you own a copy of Little Women? Have you read it and any of the sequels? Which is your favourite?
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| Frontispiece and title page |
I Scored a Hat-Trick!
No, I haven't given up reading and taken up cricket (that's where the term "hat-trick" originated back in the 19th century and means taking three wickets with three consecutive balls by the same bowler). My "hat-trick" was of a different kind.
This morning searching my library's new items catalogue I made three exciting discoveries: three books by three Australian authors I follow, to be released in three consecutive months.
From Darwin to Pearl Harbour, Sydney to Papua New Guinea, a compelling story of courage, honour and a great love set against the epic backdrop of the Second World War.
Eighteen-year-old Junie Wallace is a smart girl and, with her two brothers away at war and her third brother just killed in action, she knows there is only one way to save the family farm for her grieving parents. Unfortunately, that solution involves marrying the unscrupulous Ernest, and breaking the heart of the young drover she loves, Michael.
But the war is looming ever closer, and when Pearl Harbour brings the threat of Japanese aggression to Australian shores, the fates of many becomes inextricably interwoven.
From the explosive battles of the Pacific campaign to the desperate fighting in the Papuan New Guinea rainforest; the dancehall gaiety of Sydney’s Trocadero to the terror of the Darwin bombings, this epic family saga brings home the importance of mateship and of fighting for what you believe in, even when impossible odds seem stacked against you, even when all seems lost…
Worth Fighting For is a resounding testament to the enduring force of love: a reminder of what can be achieved if you draw on your reserves of courage and listen to the truth in your heart.
From Mira/Harlequin Australia, due out October 2016.
Mary-Anne O'Connor is the author of Gallipoli Street.
Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer
Mackenzie Crossing by Kaye Dobbie
A passion for photography draws two stories together across time to Mackenzie Crossing.
Neville ‘Pom’ Darling, is on the hunt for the perfect photograph.
Skye Stewart, is searching for her long lost grandfather.
It’s 1939, and Neville, escaping an unhappy marriage and his memories of the Great War, finds himself in Mackenzie Crossing on the day of the terrible Black Friday bushfires. He meets the beautiful Georgie Mackenzie and in an instant knows that she is the subject he has been looking for. As the heat intensifies, Georgie and Pom begin to wonder if they have a future together; but first, they must survive the blaze.
Almost sixty years later, Sky Stewart returns to the area in search of her grandfather. Did he survive the Black Friday bushfires? Who is the exotic woman in the photograph she found? But when she arrives in Elysian, the closest town to where Mackenzie Crossing used to be, she finds more of her hidden past than she bargained for. A more recent past which she would prefer stayed forgotten…
From Mira/Harlequin Australia, due out December 2016.
Kaye Dobbie is the author of Sweet Wattle Creek, Colours of Gold and more.
This morning searching my library's new items catalogue I made three exciting discoveries: three books by three Australian authors I follow, to be released in three consecutive months.
Worth Fighting For by Mary-Anne O'Connor
Eighteen-year-old Junie Wallace is a smart girl and, with her two brothers away at war and her third brother just killed in action, she knows there is only one way to save the family farm for her grieving parents. Unfortunately, that solution involves marrying the unscrupulous Ernest, and breaking the heart of the young drover she loves, Michael.
But the war is looming ever closer, and when Pearl Harbour brings the threat of Japanese aggression to Australian shores, the fates of many becomes inextricably interwoven.
From the explosive battles of the Pacific campaign to the desperate fighting in the Papuan New Guinea rainforest; the dancehall gaiety of Sydney’s Trocadero to the terror of the Darwin bombings, this epic family saga brings home the importance of mateship and of fighting for what you believe in, even when impossible odds seem stacked against you, even when all seems lost…
Worth Fighting For is a resounding testament to the enduring force of love: a reminder of what can be achieved if you draw on your reserves of courage and listen to the truth in your heart.
From Mira/Harlequin Australia, due out October 2016.
Mary-Anne O'Connor is the author of Gallipoli Street.
Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer
Lucy Briar has arrived home in turmoil after years overseas. She’s met her fiancé in London and has her life mapped out, but something is holding her back.
Hoping to ground herself and find answers, Lucy settles into once familiar routines. But old tortured feelings swarm Lucy’s existence when her beloved father, Ron, is hospitalised and Morgan – the man who drove her away all those years ago – seeks her out.
Worse, Ron implores Lucy to go to Bitterwood Estate, the crumbling historic family guesthouse now left to him. He needs Lucy to find something– an old photograph album, the very thing that drove Ron and his father apart.
Lucy has her own painful memories of Bitterwood, darkness that has plagued her dreams since she was young, and she’s hesitant to return. But as Lucy searches for the album, the house begins to give up its ghosts and she is driven to put them to rest.
And there, held tightly between the house, the orchard and the soaring cliffs, Lucy uncovers a long-hidden secret that shattered a family’s bond and kept a frightened young girl in its thrall ... and Lucy discovers just how fierce the lonely heart can be.
Hoping to ground herself and find answers, Lucy settles into once familiar routines. But old tortured feelings swarm Lucy’s existence when her beloved father, Ron, is hospitalised and Morgan – the man who drove her away all those years ago – seeks her out.
Worse, Ron implores Lucy to go to Bitterwood Estate, the crumbling historic family guesthouse now left to him. He needs Lucy to find something– an old photograph album, the very thing that drove Ron and his father apart.
Lucy has her own painful memories of Bitterwood, darkness that has plagued her dreams since she was young, and she’s hesitant to return. But as Lucy searches for the album, the house begins to give up its ghosts and she is driven to put them to rest.
And there, held tightly between the house, the orchard and the soaring cliffs, Lucy uncovers a long-hidden secret that shattered a family’s bond and kept a frightened young girl in its thrall ... and Lucy discovers just how fierce the lonely heart can be.
From Simon & Schuster Australia, due out November 2016.
Anna Romer is the author of Thornwood House and Lyrebird Hill.
Anna Romer is the author of Thornwood House and Lyrebird Hill.
Mackenzie Crossing by Kaye Dobbie
Neville ‘Pom’ Darling, is on the hunt for the perfect photograph.
Skye Stewart, is searching for her long lost grandfather.
It’s 1939, and Neville, escaping an unhappy marriage and his memories of the Great War, finds himself in Mackenzie Crossing on the day of the terrible Black Friday bushfires. He meets the beautiful Georgie Mackenzie and in an instant knows that she is the subject he has been looking for. As the heat intensifies, Georgie and Pom begin to wonder if they have a future together; but first, they must survive the blaze.
Almost sixty years later, Sky Stewart returns to the area in search of her grandfather. Did he survive the Black Friday bushfires? Who is the exotic woman in the photograph she found? But when she arrives in Elysian, the closest town to where Mackenzie Crossing used to be, she finds more of her hidden past than she bargained for. A more recent past which she would prefer stayed forgotten…
From Mira/Harlequin Australia, due out December 2016.
Kaye Dobbie is the author of Sweet Wattle Creek, Colours of Gold and more.
Novels I'm Looking Forward to Reading #1
Here are a few novels I'm looking forward to reading over the course of the coming months. Some have already been released, others are yet to hit the library shelves and book stores.
Sweet Wattle Creek by Kaye Dobbie
Kaye Dobbie is one of my favourite Australian authors. I've followed her since she wrote as Lilly Sommers. Under this pseudonym she has written some straight historical novels and some dual time frame narratives with a touch of the supernatural, all with Australian settings. As Kaye Dobbie she continued this pattern with Colours of Gold, set in the present day and on the Australian goldfields of the mid 19th century. Sweet Wattle Creek was released by Harlequin Australia in September and is receiving excellent reviews.
Sweet Wattle Creek by Kaye Dobbie
Kaye Dobbie is one of my favourite Australian authors. I've followed her since she wrote as Lilly Sommers. Under this pseudonym she has written some straight historical novels and some dual time frame narratives with a touch of the supernatural, all with Australian settings. As Kaye Dobbie she continued this pattern with Colours of Gold, set in the present day and on the Australian goldfields of the mid 19th century. Sweet Wattle Creek was released by Harlequin Australia in September and is receiving excellent reviews.
The chance discovery of an antique wedding dress weaves together the fascinating stories of three women from different eras: Sophie, in hiding from a troubled past; Belle, who must lose everything to learn what really matters; and Martha, forced to give up those she loves in order to avoid exposure. It’s 1931 and Belle Bartholomew has arrived in rural Sweet Wattle Creek to claim her inheritance – a run-down grand hotel formerly owned by Martha Ambrose. Determined to solve the mystery of her birth and the reason why she was bequeathed the hotel Belle runs into difficulties with the townsfolk and their desire to keep their secrets safe. Sixty years later Sophie Matheson is on a quest to find Belle and her family after discovering the wedding dress. The Sweet Wattle Creek Centenary brings more challenges when her past catches up and she must fight for all that matters to her. Who were Belle and Martha and what links their lives together?
The Lake House by Kate Morton
Kate Morton is another favourite Australian author, with many fans world-wide. Her fifth novel, The Lake House, was released this month and, like Kaye Dobbie's Sweet Wattle Creek, the reviews are excellent. I love the three very different book covers.
A missing child...June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.
An abandoned house...Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.
An unsolved mystery...Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape...
The Lake House by Kate Morton
Kate Morton is another favourite Australian author, with many fans world-wide. Her fifth novel, The Lake House, was released this month and, like Kaye Dobbie's Sweet Wattle Creek, the reviews are excellent. I love the three very different book covers.
A missing child...June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.An abandoned house...Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.
An unsolved mystery...Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape...
A Tattooed Heart by Deborah Challinor
From New Zealand author, Deborah Challinor, comes the fourth and final book in her Convict Girls series. I read the first three books (Behind the Sun, Girl of Shadows, The Silk Thief) last year and have eagerly awaited the conculsion to the girls' story. A Tattooed Heart is due for release in November from Harper Collins.
1832: Convict girls Friday Woolfe, Sarah Morgan and Harriet Clarke have been serving their sentences in Sydney Town for three years. For much of that time they have lived in fear of sinister and formidable Bella Jackson, who continues to blackmail them for a terrible crime. Each of them has begun to make a life for herself, but when Harrie's adopted child Charlotte is abducted and taken to Newcastle, the girls must risk their very freedom to save her. But is Friday up to the task? Will the desperate battle with her own vices drive her to fail not only herself, but those she loves and all who love her? In this final volume of a saga about four convict girls transported halfway around the world, friends and family reunite but cherished loved ones are lost, and an utterly shocking secret is revealed.
House of Shadows by Pamela Hartshorne
I discovered Pamela Hartshorne earlier this year when I picked up two of her three novels, The Edge of Dark and The Memory of Midnight. I am currently reading her third, Time's Echo. These dual time frame novels are set in the present and 16th century York, England. House of Shadows is due for release in December from Pan MacMillan UK.
When Kate Vavasour wakes in hospital, she can remember nothing about the family gathered around her bed, or of her life before the accident. The doctors diagnose post-traumatic amnesia and say the memories should start returning. Which they do ...but these memories are not her own. They belong to Isabel Vavasour, who lived and died at Askerby Hall over four hundred years earlier ...Returning to Askerby Hall to recuperate, Kate finds herself in a house full of shadows and suspicions. Unable to recognise her family, her friends or even her small son, she struggles to piece together the events that led to her terrible fall. Life at Askerby, it seems, is not as illustrious as the Vavasours would have the public believe. But before she can uncover the mysteries of the present, she must first discover the truth about the past ...Was Isabel's madness real, or was her mistake trusting the one person she thought would never betray her?
The High Flyer: An Aviation Mystery by Elizabeth Darrell
Also due for release in December, from Severn House UK, is a new mystery from Elizabeth Darrell and perhaps the start of a new series. She also writes historical novels, some previously under the name of Emma Drummond, set in the 19th century, World War I and World War II.
Twelve years after World War I, former Flight Sergeant Ben Norton must discover the truth behind his wartime colleague's death. 1930. The Lance family, major shareholders in Marshfield Aviation, watch in horror as their prototype fighter fails to pull out of a dive during a display before government and military VIPs. At the pilot's funeral, a man introduces himself to the widow as Ben Norton, a close friend of her husband during war service with the Royal Flying Corps. Ben becomes Marshfield's new Test Pilot, determined to refute worldwide press claims of a faulty aircraft design. Convinced that deliberate sabotage was behind the crash, the young flyer vows to uncover whoever was responsible. But who is Ben Norton? And why is it that the man he claims to have been his close wartime colleague had not once mentioned Ben to his wife during eight years of marriage?
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