AustLit

'On the periphery of the fast-moving city of Perth, Aboriginal teenagers eke out a living full of violence, sex, lawlessness and poverty.

'Every revolution needs a leader and there is no question in Alan's mind that he is that leader. For inspiration he goes to Noorak, the law holder of his people, and hears the heroic tales of Sandawara, the last of the warriors, who died defending his land and his people against the white man in the Kimberleys. So Alan names himself and becomes the new Sandwara and the rest of the unemployed teenage Aborigines of his mob take the names of Sandawara's followers. In his crash pad, a broken-down old house, the new Sandawara plots and schemes the revolution.

'The story of this mob of anti-heroes, of a farcical inefficient revolution, gives a vivid portrayal of the new and frightening world of rootless youth, who lack identity and purpose and shoot as easily as they love because neither act has meaning.' (Publication summary : 2020 edition)

'The Second World War has just ended and Sister Honour Langtree, a caring and conscientious Army nurse, cares for a striking mixture of five battle-broken soldiers being treated in the psychiatric care section of the hospital. To the soldiers, Honour is a precious, adored reminder of the world before war – they are as devoted to her as she is to them.

'Then Seargent Michael Wilson arrives. A damaged and decorated hero, Wilson is a man of secrets and silent pain. Honour finds herself drawn to this tortured man, and discovers a love that will ultimately lead to a violent tragedy.'

Source : publisher's blurb

The Thorn Birds is the unforgettable story of the Clearys, spanning three generations; a sweeping family saga of dreams, titanic struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian Outback. (Source: Trove)

'Mary Horton is content with her comfortable, solitary existence . . . until she meets Tim. A beautiful young man with the mind of a child – a gentle outcast in a cruel, unbending world – he illuminates the darkness of Mary's days with his boyish innocence. And he will shatter the lonely, middle-aged spinster's respectable, ordered life with a forbidden promise of a very special love.' (Publication summary)