Eclectic and impassioned, a collection that affirms the power of the written word.' – ObserverThe Boy Behind the Curtain is a portrait of a life, a place and a man.In this deeply personal collection of true stories and essays Tim Winton shows how moments from his childhood and life growing up have shaped his views on class, faith, fundamentalism, the environment, and – most pressingly – how all his experiences have made hi...

Abel Jackson lives with his mother Dora at Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish. Theirs is a simple life. It’s tough. And at times it’s lonely. But Abel has friends in the sea, particularly the magnificent old groper he meets one day while diving for abalone. Abel learns that the sea and its treasures are precious. And as Longboat Bay is threatened by greedy developers and overfishing, Abel and his mum wonder how they can keep their homeplace safe. One of ...

Cloudstreet is an epic stage adaptation of Tim Winton’s enormously successful and muchloved novel of the same name.Set in post-war Perth, Cloudstreet follows the fluctuating fortunes and changing relationships of two families—the Lambs and the Pickles—who inhabit the same rambling old house. Collectively their stories, told over a twenty-year period, interweave to tell a much bigger story: the recent history of Australia as experienced by its communities and citiz...

After heartbreak, grief and despair, can happiness be found again?Josephine Cox's Angels Cry Sometimes brims with heartbreak and joy, hardship and indomitable spirit, that will hold the reader enthralled. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Nadine Dorries.The marriage of Marcia and Curt Ratheter seemed idyllically happy. As much in love as on their wedding day, nothing could mar their joy. But one fateful day in 1931 brought Marc...

Where there's muck, there's mettleDolly Tomkins has always known what it is to live hand to mouth. In the mean streets of a Salford struggling under the mantle of the Great Depression, the only one making a decent living is the talleyman.Though Nifty Jack has a money bag where his heart should be, Dolly's mam is in hock up to her ears and in dire need of assistance. But when Jack offers to wipe the slate clean, Dolly just can't bring hers...

If your whole world changed, how would you cope?Josephine Cox writes a unputdownable saga in The Woman Who Left - a tale of love, family and bitter rivalries. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Rosie Goodwin.Louise and Ben Hunter's loving marriage is marred only by their unfulfilled longing for a child. Living and working with Ben's father, Ronnie, they are quietly contented. But when Ronnie dies, their whole worl...

ONCE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FORGETA DEVASTATING CRIMEJohn Michael Adams is just a small schoolboy, when a sudden shocking event tears his life and his family apart.A LIFE-CHANGING GIFTYears later, Ellen Sutherland is stunned when she inherits a beautiful cottage in the Cotswolds from a woman she's never heard of.A LONG-BURIED SECRETAs she begins to investigate, the mysteries around her new home only deepen. And it's not long bef...

Now that Nell's three sons are in work, she's ready to build a new life for herself. She's been left a house in England by an elderly aunt and decides to leave Australia for a while.But her house on Peppercorn Street isn't fit to live in and Nell is happy to sell it and allow a builder to create Cinnamon Gardens. Her elderly neighbour Winifred however wants to stay in the only home she's ever known. Violence escalates as someone tries to frighten the old lady into selling, and to m...

Margaret Dickinson's Pauper's Gold is the heartfelt story of triumph over adversity, in the cotton mills of Derbyshire.Hannah Francis has been forced to leave her beloved mother and the life she knows in the silk mill town of Macclesfield and is set to become an apprentice at a cotton mill in the Derbyshire dales. It is a cruel blow for such a young girl, but her three travelling companions are even younger than she is, and Hannah is determined to keep the...

Can one young woman's beautiful voice save her from a life of destitution?Rita Bradshaw writes a captivating saga in The Urchin's Song, a gritty tale of family, escapism and an incredible talent. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Josephine Cox.'Rita Bradshaw fully deserves her new Cookson rating... Josie's tale will echo in your heart long after you have turned the last page' - Northern EchoThe approach of the tw...

When her sister disappears, can Ellen Ryan keep her beloved niece safe?Lyn Andrews' heart-warming and dramatic saga of early twentieth-century Liverpool, My Sister's Child, follows a young woman as she fights for the happiness of those she loves. Perfect for fans of Anne Baker, Kitty Neale and Maureen Lee.For the inhabitants of Liverpool's Milton Street a steady income and a roof over their heads are luxuries. The Ryan family have ...

A highly anticipated summer event for the village of Turnham Malpas doesn't quite go as planned...with consequences no one could have predicted.Craddock Fitch is a relative newcomer to the village of Turnham Malpas and is keen to make a splash by holding a village show - the best ever - in the grounds of his large house. Committee secretary and coordinator of the show Louise Bissett is the spoilt daughter of Sir Ron and Lady Sheila. Although a brilliant organiser, ...