AustLit

'It takes a hasty move from Melbourne to Corfu for an Australian couple, their five children, a book that needs to be written, a blown-out budget, an escalating military coup d'état, a tragic secret and an Australian Prime Minister's apology to create a childhood that is well ... quite extraordinary.' (Publication summary)

'Industrial engineer Bill Murrell's To Thyself Be True is the remarkably honest account of a man whose near-death experience as a baby on the kitchen table gave him an indefatigable zest and passion for life.

'From growing up in a sewers yard at Port Road, Thebarton in South Australia to the night clubs and strip joints of New York in the early 1950s, Bill's passions were art, cars and family. In a remarkably detailed account of life during the depression and pre-war years, we see how his drive and ambition was shaped by the opportunities that were presenting themselves in car manufacturing on a global scale.

'A direct descendant from a convict on the First Fleet, Bill goes on a personal journey to Norfolk Island, tracing his family history back to the Lords of Moresby in Cumberland and the Earl of Gospatric. He uncovers the stories of Calvert, the slave trader and Murrell, the sealer.

'Treasured moments are captured in his vast collection of photographs. His story personally documents the great social changes happening both in Australia and the US and is told in an open, authentic and direct way. It is a unique book by a faithful man who lived to the motto "to thyself be true".' (Publication summary)

'A poignant story of the impact of war on a defenceless French village during the Second World War. Four courageous villagers join the Maquis, the Resistance in Vichy occupied France, to protect their families. They are swept into a treacherous conflict where one false word or brave action can result in the torture and death of people they know and love. One old man and a young girl survive the savage destruction that wipes out the whole community.

'This novel uses the recorded history of the devastation of many rural villages in the Aveyron, Lot and Tarn departments of the Midi-Pyrénées. Oradour-sur-Glane in the Haute-Vienne Department is a famous memorial to the brutality of the Second World War.' (Publication summary)

'Twelve-year-old Connor has moved house yet again. His mum has signed him and his wee sister up to another new school, just so they can get fed. He is dreading the barrage of looks and stares he will get, being the newcomer again. And he's really not looking forward to the yelling and shouting from his new teacher as they tell him how dumb he is.

'Life has not been easy since escaping from their dad. Mum has crawled into an invisible shell and his sister ... well, who knows what goes on in that head of hers. He just has to deal with it all.

'Connor's predictions turn out not to be quite true and he slowly begins to discover that not all schools are the same ...' (Publication summary)

'A Story of Grandparent Carers

'What happens when a family falls apart, for whatever reason? Be it drugs, alcohol, mental illness or domestic violence, children are caught in the middle, and they suffer. But who will step in to save them?

'This dilemma faced Donna, a migrant mother, when she realised that her own infant grandchild had been born into a bad situation. Isabella was neglected, a child at risk, when Donna and Tom commenced the long battle through the Family Court to save her.

'Shedding a much-loved career to take on the role of Grandparent carer, Donna soon realised she was not alone. Thousands of grandparents were raising their grandchildren, most without any support, except from each other.

'This is a story of sacrifice, ingenuity, pain and hilarity as this widening band of women keep the wheels of 'family' turning ...

'They are the 'Grandcarers' ... and Donna was now one of them.' (Publication summary)

'Two young lovers. Heartbreaking decisions.

'Emmaline Cannon had plans - graduate teachers' college and take a posting in a small country town - but a chance encounter at a Vietnam War protest in Perth changes everything.

'When Micky Brannigan meets Emmaline, he realises he will break the promise he made to his mother not to fall in love and leave a girl waiting for him while he heads off to war. Instead, he makes a new promise. A promise to find his way back to Emmy.

'Pregnant and alone, Emmy is heartbroken when her letters to the man she loves are returned unopened. Meanwhile Micky's experiences in Vietnam are nothing like what he'd expected. Both are forced to make the most difficult decisions of their lives, but how much will they need to sacrifice before they find their way back to each other?' (Publication summary)

'It's school holiday break and thirteen-year-old Morgan is ready to enjoy it. Aunt Leah's birthday gift, however, suddenly brings Morgan's dreams to life. The purple door she has dreamt of appears on Morgan's bedroom wall and sets her off exploring through a gateway to different worlds.

'Each night, she is filled with amazement and wonder, until she steps through a door and immediately feels something is very wrong: it doesn't take her long to realise she has walked into a world full of danger.

'She escapes and never wants to return, but she must as this world's existence depends on it.' (Publication summary)

'When COVID 19 forced Australia into State lockdowns, seeing children and grandchildren became difficult so one Nana started writing letters to her grandchildren, aged 10 and 12. A grandmother's role is to nurture, teach and love, and this Nana does just that in the letters to her grandchildren, letters that all children can enjoy and learn from when missing their own grandparents.' (Publication summary)

'Footprints in the Sand, a collection of short stories, poems and stunning photography, that will engage and entertain for hours.

'Murder and mayhem, love and outback adventures, as well as some enigmatic puzzles and an insight into the writer's world, will keep the pages turning from cover to cover.' (Publication summary)

'Since she was a young girl, Aimee has had a passion for horses and dreams of becoming a Dressage champion. Under Sarah Brown's guidance, she works hard and struggles through the turmoil in her life to climb the ranks to the top.

'Riding the crest of success, Aimee's dream is almost in her reach. But life gets in the way again.

'Did she ever have the right to dare to dream?' (Publication summary)

'Healing a broken heart is something we all have to go through at some time in our lives.

'This book is a collection of heart murmurs and raw truths of the kind that are not shared enough.

'A collection of spilled thoughts.

'There is only one way to heal pain and that is to be with it, open-heartedly and honour it.' (Publication summary) 

'The captivating illustrations in this hilarious children's book introduce a cheeky blowfly who challenges Grandma's swatting skills and patience. First he lands on her freshly baked hot apple pie, and then ...?

'Grandma swishes and swats her trusty flyswat, puffing, panting and shouting "You won't escape me!" But does he?

'This action-packed poem entices children to read, recite and dramatise.' (Publication summary)

"The ruby contains the fire to spark creativity..."

'This ruby anniversary anthology offers you a potpourri of poetry and prose from published authors, emerging and beginner writers from The Society of Women Writers WA. It contains fiction, memoir, and creative nonfiction, as well as lyrical and heartfelt poetry to delight and entertain you.' (Publication summary)

'This book of writings, accumulated over more than three decades, is a compendium of thoughts and imaginings scribbled down for the fun of it. They are not presented as great revelations, profound truths or pearls of wisdom. Rather they are the wonderings of an ordinary man, living an ordinary, middle-class lifestyle in suburban Western Australia in the late 20th and early 21st century.

'His muse moves through poetry, prose, essays, and song lyrics, then deepens as he tries to understand the extraordinary events that took place in New York City on 11th September 2001.' (Publication summary)

'Growing up in South Bunbury, Western Australia in the 50s and 60s wasn't easy. The antics Rob, his siblings and friends inflicted on the neighbourhood and beyond was in those days just 'boys being boys', their imagination for entertaining themselves something they were lucky to survive, and Rob has the scars to prove it.

'Rob's journey from childhood to manhood opened his eyes to the good, bad and ugly in life, and to the importance of family. Throughout it all, Rob's passion or speed shone through, racing motorbikes and sidecars in his teen years featuring strongly in his life.

'His story tells the truth, the whole truth - which may intrigue, inform or amuse- and is nothing but the truth.' (Publication summary)

'In 1950, the Crooks family boarded the P&O Liner Strathaird, bound for Australia. So begins the heartwarming and uplifting story of Denise's early years.

'Her father takes on a cray fishing business and moves the family to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, then to a tent on a sandy beach in the South Passage, off the Western Australian coast. Denise demonstrates resilience and determination during difficult times, surrounded by lots of love and humour, as revealed in her hilarious and often challenging life situations on her journey growing up and through her time in the Regular Army and becoming a successful businesswoman.

'Denise is a self-assured, warm and mischievous woman whose curiosity gets the better of her when she decides to see if she can catch up with an old friend.

'Denise's story will touch your heart and leave you smiling.' (Publication summary)

'Trader, a book of short stories based on the theme of A History of Trade, is a portrayal of trade encounters around the world stretching from 10,000 BC to centuries in the future.

'The stories are fictional yet the author has attempted to set them in a context that is reasonably accurate in their historical perspectives. Part of this authenticity aim is a portrayal of customs and attitudes that are believed to have been prevalent at the time. Some readers may find this confronting given that many of the practices and prejudices in those days sometimes differ markedly from today's values.' (Publication summary)

'We have two lives. The second begins when we realise we only have one.

'For Julius Tiberius Banks, a health crisis at thirty-two ends his first. In his second, he wants a better reason for being than the mountain of cash and the calculating trophy wife he'd gathered in the first.

'Progress is made, but less than two years later, his fleeting vision of that new life is stymied. Unknown people want him dead.

'Seeking safety and solutions, he returns home to Melbourne to find more questions than answers and worse still, troublesome reporter, Jessica Moore, becomes embroiled in his troubles. A business project in Tasmania offers hopes of respite, but even there, death stalks his every move.

'To add confusion to his woes, Jessica also stirs unexpected pangs of romance that sees her drawn ever deeper into the deadly web of intrigue surrounding him.

'And Tasmania is where the final scenes play out.

'There, two lives, his and Jessica's, will depend on his uncertain ability to slip from an irrevocably tightening noose.' (Publication summary)

'Our Backyard Zoo shows the intricate web of life on our planet and how a small change to any part of it can upset its delicate balance.

'Join the children as they learn about the incredible diversity of organisms on our planet and why it is so important to conserve and preserve them.' (Publication summary)