In an Urban Forest

Love, marriage and divorce are universal themes that unite and divide families in the urban forest. In Melbourne, early during the second half of the 20th Century, the Shorman and Carlister families are both facing the pressures of societal change: older family males still believe in the patriarchal past while young adult offspring are finding new freedoms at university and beyond. As the details emerge of relationships strong and weak, tragedy strikes and relationships are rearranged. At least the young adults can go forward unbound by the societal constraints of the past.

$21

Honey Eyes

A London Mystery

Elm Tree Terrace is host to an odd collection of guests. Colin Jepson, a young graduate from Sydney, turns up unannounced to look for a room. Mary Mercy who checks his references puzzles Colin: she is not English, but perhaps European, yet her dress belies this. Colin is entranced by her eyes. The other guests at the boarding house fit their stereotypes: a middle-aged school teacher from Scotland and a couple visiting from Adelaide. The boarding house manager, Mr Suddern, seems out of place. Huston, his business partner, is suave with an air of mystery. Colin takes a bus ride with Mary, ending up at London zoo. She tells him of growing up in the Belgian Congo, and of her strange relationship with Huston. Could there be blackmail involved? When Huston demands Colin give up his room, and an eminent physician comes to dinner, the truth behind the Adelaide man and Huston is revealed.

$10

Apollo in January

Imagine a little farmhouse on the wild high cliffs above Apollo Bay, suddenly brought to life by the arrival of a batch of city kids who never before had the chance of a permanent home. No way are they willing to lose this one, just so long as they don’t starve. In their first week, strange and mysterious forces line up against them, for the house has stood deserted for over a year waiting for Gemma to claim it. Maybe the house had also waited for the summer heat of January, which brought their interesting new friend the Guitar Poet to join the party. 

Pauli and Pete and Ben and Cissy find other real friends in big Tony Busoni and the Blunt family from the dairy farm next door. All together, they solve the mystery of the packet that Ben saw fall from a helicopter near the plum tree lookout – the same place where Pete saw a sight nobody but Cissy believed possible…

$22

Play of Shadows

Indonesian Short Stories

A collection of short stories written when the author lived in Jakarta in the 1950s.

Mid twentieth century Indonesia provided a fertile ground for these insightful stories. Ranging from portraits of individual lives, beautifully drawn characters, depictions of a culturally diverse country in a time of change, these stories reflect a poignant past. Who is the baroness? Sumekto believes in the Pancasila and heads to Jakarta to seek a new life. Can little Nipa's life be turned around? Experience the strange influence of wayang kulit shadow puppetry, and join Guido on his visit to the Gedeh. These stories and more will entrance the reader.

$22 (paperback)

$46 (hardback)

Sam in July

A Novel for Children

A book for children and young adults, Sam in July tells the story of a young boy who wakes up confused in a boxcar on a train to Dean's Marsh in the Otway Ranges of south-western Victoria, Australia. The story of Sam is set in that month of July in a year at the turn of the century when he was nine and he both lost and found himself on the wooded rises and in the deep gullies of the Otways. How did he get there? Well, there would not be a story at all without the big Scot Geordie Brown and his beloved farm; Granny Mare, who knows the pathways; and Flora of the secrets, who adores pheasants. There is the unexpected laugh of a little ghost, but the haunting question is - who is Sam?

$20

The Augustinian Correspondence

A Novella in Seven Letters

Sometime in the aftermath of World War 2, Helena is going to Istanbul to stay with her uncle and to join her British diplomat fiancée Thomas. A series of seven letters exposes a story of family intrigue, complex relationships, underhand activities and the mystery of Rupert Augustinian and his blind spouse Maria. Helena's uncle, Roger Atherton's past is slowly revealed as each letter explores different perspectives of a deepening mystery. Why does Rupert Augustinian dine nightly in the same Istanbul restaurant? What could a visit to Ayub reveal to Helena? A mugging, a missing diplomatic bag, a book of the poems of Pierre Loti all add to the intrigue. A final denouement at the home of Atherton finally draws all the threads together. What does it mean for Helena and her future with Thomas ?

$16

The King Walks in the Orangerie

An epic poem in which the ghost of Louis XIV of France reminisces on life and loves in Versailles. Illustrated with fine drawings by Claire Prineas. Now available in two editions: DeLuxe direct from the publisher, or standard from bookstores (on order) or the publisher.

$25 (standard hardback)

$35 (deluxe edition)

The ginger jar

A Love Story

The Ginger Jar is a story of coming of age and love, of family ties and tensions. Strong autobiographical elements are apparent. Although the ginger jar is broken in Cairo, its story began in Vancouver. Kit is taken by her older cousin, Charles Gilbert, to lunch in Vancouver’s Chinatown. There Charles, after telling her he plans to take off for China when the coming summer is over, buys her the ginger jar. Of all the family, they have the most in common. Charles finds Kit, like himself, intuitive and creative.  That summer of 1929, the families set up camp at Cedar Cove. There with her family, with Charles around, and her favourite cousin Greta, Kit is restless. From the time Jimmy Millar, a young science student, and a beauty called Pat, join the weekends at the beach, the circle of Kit’s life seems different. Drama explodes at Cedar Cove when Greta is seduced and Pat chooses Charles Gilbert. After the Depression, happily engaged to Jimmy Millar, Kit envisions a wonderful future of travel. But Jimmy asks her to postpone their wedding. Kit accepts a summer job on Vancouver Island. In this idyllic place Kit is made welcome and  makes new friends. Charles, now established with his wife, Pat, and their baby son, visits her at the lake. Their closeness develops into passion. Again, a summer ends in drama. Charles takes his son and goes into hiding; Kit is torn between Charles and Jimmy and her love for them both. Sailing back to the safety of her home, Kit is suddenly confronted by Pat Gilbert, who is waiting for her on the ferry. There is no escape. Kit is no longer the innocent and trusting girl she was. So it is here the ginger jar takes over again and ends the story.

$30