This month I read two awesome books by two favourite authors, Heather Webber and Selina Fenech, some important Australian classics and a moving collection of short stories, took a chance on a new author, and loved a queer contemportary romance and a fascinating historical fiction… 

46 of 80 – The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber
I’ve been very disciplined in rationing out the books of Heather Webber, one of my favourite authors, because I really wanted to binge them all when I discovered her last year! But I waited a few months since my last one, and then my first August read was her beautiful The Lights of Sugarberry Cove, which is so sweet and lovely and funny and sad and deeply heart-warming, and full of love and longing, and family, friendship and family-who-yearn to be friends, along with ghosts of the past, ghosts of the present, and a wondrous sprinkling of magic. I love that it’s told from two points of view, like all Heather’s books, this time from estranged sisters Sadie Way and Leala Clare, and the audiobook is gorgeously narrated by Stephanie Willis and Hallie Ricardo, who have narrated most of Heather’s magical realism books, and are two of my favourites for sure. Listening to (or reading) these books feels like curling up on the couch under a cosy blanket with a pot of tea and lots of chocolate, they’re so sweet and soothing and utterly enchanting – and I loved the audiobooks so much I had to get the physical ones too, so I can re-read them all one day… I also highly recommend Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, In the Middle of Hickory Lane and South of the Buttonwood Tree (all stand-alones, but told with the same charm and style), and the only problem I have now is that I only have one book left, the just-released At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Let’s see how long I can hold out!

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47 of 80 – Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara, also known as Doris Pilkington, has recently been re-released as part of University of Queensland Press’s First Nations Classics series, with an introduction by The Yield author Tara June Winch. It tells the true story of 14-year-old Molly – Doris’s mother – who in the 1930s was stolen from her family and home, along with her younger sister Daisy, 11, and their cousin Gracie, eight, and imprisoned in a government institution near Perth. Determined to return to their family and their Country, Molly helped the two younger girls to escape then led them on an extraordinary 1600km journey – that’s twice the length of the Spanish Camino – back home. They had no food, no shoes and no map, but they travelled through forests, the wheat belt, mulga and spinifex country and across blistering desert sands, tracked by police and search planes, guided only by their connection to the land, and the rabbit-proof fence that Molly knew ran past their home in Jigalong, in the north of the state. The Moore River institution wasn’t near the fence though, so they had to find it first – Molly figured that if they headed east they would stumble upon it at some point. Their journey took nine arduous weeks, and when their legs became infected from grass cuts, Molly piggy-backed the younger girls in turn.
The audiobook is powerfully narrated by acclaimed actor, writer and theatre director Rachael Maza, who was an advisor on the award-winning movie of the book. I can’t even comprehend the incredible strength and bravery of the three girls – or understand the hatred and evil they and so many other First Nations people faced. Their story is a heart-wrenching, heart-breaking but necessary look at Australia’s shameful past, and the devastating impact of colonisation and the horrifically racist policies it inflicted. It’s way past time for truth-telling, and I hope this incredible story of endurance, determination and survival against all odds will continue to be read and listened to, so such brutality never happens again.   
Doris also wrote a younger reader edition of her mother Molly’s story, Home to Mother, also published by UQP.

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48 of 80 – Home to Mother by Doris Pilkington Garimara
The classic Australian book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara, also known as Doris Pilkington, was recently re-released as part of University of Queensland Press’s First Nations Classics series, so will hopefully be read by many more people. The author also wrote a young readers edition, called Home to Mother, illustrated by Janice Lyndon and recommended for readers aged nine plus.
It tells the true story of 14-year-old Molly – Doris’s mother – who in the 1930s was stolen from her family and home, along with her younger sister Daisy, 11, and their cousin Gracie, eight, and imprisoned in a government institution near Perth. Determined to return to their family and their Country, Molly helped the two younger girls escape then led them on an extraordinary 1600km journey back home. They had no food, no shoes and no map, but they travelled through forests, the wheat belt, mulga and spinifex country and across blistering desert sands, tracked by police and search planes, guided only by their connection to the land, and the rabbit-proof fence that Molly knew ran past their home in Jigalong, in the north of the state. Their journey took nine arduous weeks, and when their legs became infected from grass cuts, Molly piggy-backed the younger girls in turn.
I hope lots of young people read this junior edition of Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence and start to understand the devastating impact of colonisation and the horrifically racist policies it inflicted on First Nations people, an impact that continues today in various ways, and I hope Molly, Daisy and Gracie’s incredible story of determination, endurance, love, courage and survival against all odds will inspire readers to open their minds and hearts to the truths of this beautiful country and its shameful past, and step up to make a difference.   

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49 of 80 – Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Oops, Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue has been on my bookshelf since it came out in 2019, and I’m sorry it took so many years to get to it. (But it makes me happy knowing how many other wonderful treasures are sitting there waiting for me too!) This is such a beautiful story of love, joy and finding yourself – with lots of laugh-out-loud moments of discovery along the way, and great characters, deep friendships, high tension, political scandals and family drama. But mostly it’s about love, and all the fears, doubts, insecurities and barriers the very British Prince Henry and America’s first son Alex have to wade through as their hostility turns to friendship then to love. There are some sex scenes (which some readers claim were too spicy and others think are too tame), but they’re beautifully written and so much more about emotional intimacy than graphic physicality, and are an important part of Alex and Henry’s character growth as they become more vulnerable, more honest, and more true to themselves. It’s a sweet, funny, deeply moving story, and while the supposedly forbidden nature of their relationship wouldn’t (thankfully) be an issue today, it’s still wonderful to see such a tender, loving, inclusive romance do so well and be read so widely. (And I won’t wait so long to read Casey’s next book, One Last Stop.) The Prime film is really wonderful too.

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50 of 80 – Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O’Neill
I’m a sucker for books set in Ireland, so Ellie O’Neill’s Audible-included Reluctantly Charmed, which combines modern-day Ireland with faeries, witches and folk tales, intrigued me…
It’s Kate McDaid’s birthday and she’s hoping to kickstart her rather stagnant love-life and career when she gets some very strange news. To her surprise, she is the sole benefactor of a great-great-great-great aunt and self-proclaimed witch also called Kate McDaid, who died over 130 years ago. As if that isn’t strange enough, the will instructs that, in order to receive the inheritance, Kate must publish seven letters, one by one, week by week.
Burning with curiosity, Kate agrees and opens the first letter – and finds that it’s a passionate plea to reconnect with the long-forgotten fairies of Irish folklore. Instantly, Kate’s life is turned upside down. Her romantic life takes a surprising turn and she is catapulted into the public eye. As events become stranger and stranger – and she discovers things about herself she’s never known before – Kate must decide whether she can fulfil the final, devastating step of the request…  or whether she can face the consequences if she doesn’t.
It’s a sweet story, with moments of humour, some endearing characters, good friends, a wonderful Irish village (that’s sadly fictional), and a captivating premise that kept me reading. The first six steps were a lovely mix of magic and wonder, of connecting with nature and remembering who you truly are and what is important to you, and Kate, while taking a while to warm to, grew as the story progressed. It was a little long, and I wasn’t the only one disappointed by the seventh step, but there’s a charming mix of folklore, mystery and relationships (friends, parents, romantic) and I’m glad I read/listened to it. The Irish author has been living in Geelong, Victoria, for more than a decade, brought to our shores by love, and this is an entertaining first novel – three more have been published since.

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BONUS – Paris Dreaming by Anita Heiss – re-release
Happy Publication Week to Anita Heiss, one of my favourite authors. The fresh, new, updated edition of Paris Dreaming, the companion to Manhattan Dreaming, is out now.
Says Anita: “I loved the original researching and writing of this novel, and then updating the story this year. As you can imagine, researching in Paris, eating macaroons and croissants, was an absolute chore! The settings within the story include the iconic @quaibranly and all the incredible Indigenous Australian art represented there. I also share some of some of my fave places not on the usual tourism route…”
Paris Dreaming is about Libby, the best friend of Manhattan Dreaming’s Lauren, and it’s a lovely, sweet, funny, moving story that’s described as contemporary romance, which it is, but it’s also even more a story of friendship and the precious bonds between women, the support and kindness of long-time best friends from home, and the magic of new friends in a new land too. Libby and Lauren work at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra, and there are lots of references to talented First Nations artists throughout both books, as well as how much they both value their work and careers. When Libby gets the chance to work at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, as Lauren had at New York’s Smithsonian, it’s a chance for her to experience a new city, a new culture, new friends and a new self, and possibly a new romance too. It was wonderful to walk the streets of Paris with Libby, to watch her new relationships develop, and be challenged, and to meet her new Roma friend Sorina and see if she could help her avoid deportation, leaving Libby shocked at some of France’s terrible policies and viewpoints – and able to weave in just how devastating some of Australia’s are too…
I’m always astounded by just how wonderfully different Anita’s books are. Her historical novel Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray was my favourite book of 2021, and I also love her middle grade novel Who Am I?, her story of books and friendship, Tiddas, and the amazing historical novel Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms. Her women’s fiction/contemporary romances Red Dust Running, Manhattan Dreaming, Not Meeting Mr Right and Avoiding Mr Right are great too, and she also writes incredible non-fiction (including Am I Black Enough For You? and I’m Not Racist But…), and children’s books (Koori Princess, Our Race for Reconciliation and Bidhi Galing), and edits anthologies (including Growing Up Aboriginal, Growing Up Wiradjuri and The Intervention).

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51 of 80 – The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup
The Memory Tree, by author and illustrator Britta Teckentrup, is a beautiful and deeply touching book that helps celebrate the memories left behind when a loved one dies.
Fox has lived a long and happy life in the forest, but now he is tired. He lies down in his favourite clearing and falls asleep forever. Before long, Fox’s friends begin to gather. One by one, they tell stories of the special moments they shared with Fox. And as they share their memories, a tree begins to grow, becoming bigger and stronger with each memory, sheltering and protecting all the animals in the forest, just as Fox did when he was alive.
August is a tough month for me as it’s the anniversary of losing Petie, my Other Dad. After he died four years ago, a tiny seedling grew in one of his window boxes, and his beloved Margie nurtured it until it got so big it had to be moved. Her lovely neighbours helped her plant it at the top of their street in the little garden they tend, and it now towers over trees that were there long before Petie’s tree appeared. We’ve had a few special memorial rituals there, and while I have no idea how I stumbled across this beautiful book, it is so perfect, and was perfect timing too.
I ended up buying several copies for loved ones, and it inspired me to create a book of memories of Petie for Margie to have, filled with funny, sad, moving, sweet and precious reminiscences from friends and loved ones, which can be added to over time. And while Britta’s gorgeous book came to me in a magical way, at a magical time, with the deepest of meaning, it’s a beautiful book for everyone, offering gentle comfort, reassurance and healing.
Britta is an illustrator, fine artist and writer. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the Royal College of Art in London. She’s created more than 40 books, translated into 20 languages, and her artwork has been shown at exhibitions all over the world. She lives and works in Berlin with her artist husband and their son.

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52 of 80 – Brightest Star by Emma Harcourt
I bought Emma Harcourt’s The Brightest Star as she was going to interview a fellow author at a book event. In the end someone else did the interview, but I’d already finished her book, and I’m so glad I did.
When Luna was born with a foot deformity – believed, in 15th century Florence, to mean she was spawned by the devil – her mother ordered a maid to dump her at a convent so she could pretend her baby had died. Fortunately her father arrived just in time, and insisted on keeping her. Freed somewhat from the societal expectations placed on daughters, Luna was allowed to learn, and turned out to be a brilliant scholar with a thirst for knowledge, a passion for astronomy and a talent for debate. While she was young her father encouraged her studies, finding her intellect charming – until he suddenly saw her as society did, and demanded she stop learning, discussing her ideas or pretty much speaking at all. And when fundamentalist preacher Friar Girolamo Savonarola took power in Florence, her outspokenness became ever more dangerous. It was a time of political upheaval, of war between science and religion, of important books and artworks being destroyed, and of some of the greatest thinkers being jailed or worse for telling the truth. Of course people still risked all to speak out, and to pursue their scientific discoveries, including astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who the friar would have liked to burn at the stake for the (supposedly) heretical notion that the earth revolves around the sun. I loved that Luna got to meet him and even work with him a little, matching wits and encouraging each other’s pursuit of knowledge, and that she was in some ways able to live a life she could love, despite the terrible cost. It’s horrifying to know how badly women were treated then – silenced, ridiculed, disregarded; refused an education, a voice, a life; sold off in marriage, blamed for being the cause of all sin – and Luna’s determination, wisdom and search for meaning was inspiring.

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53 of 80 – Dark As Last Night by Tony Birch
I loved Tony Birch’s novel The White Girl, and saw him speak at a few writers festivals, so I was keen to read his short story collection Dark as Last Night.
Written during the pandemic, the stories explore the importance of human connection, the pain and the sweetness of relationships, between siblings, parents and children, friends and potential romantic partners, police officer and First Nations man, and even strangers on a bus. There is violence and grief in many of them, but there is kindness too, and sometimes humour to offset the sadness. All are deeply affecting.
This collection won the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Award Christina Stead Prize for Fiction as well as the Queensland Literary Award for Fiction, was shortlisted for the 2022 ABA Booksellers Choice Awards: Nielsen Adult Fiction Book of the Year and the 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards – Fiction, and longlisted for the 2022 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award.

“Dark as Last Night is a masterpiece, and Tony Birch is a national treasure. I am grateful to be a reader of his work. Grateful to have gained new insight, knowledge and understanding of people, situations and histories previously unknown and unseen to me.” 
Readings

“Tony Birch tells incredibly important stories incredibly well and Dark as Last Night is both antidote and a lullaby in pandemic times.”
Sydney Review of Books

“Australia’s greatest short story writer. Birch is more at home with his material than any other modern writer I know.”
Alex Miller, The Age