Cirrus@Austlit

'Once Upon a Perfect Family follows and explores the life of the Madison family, from the second world war to contemporary times. The main protagonist and narrator, is Julia, the youngest child. The lens is often right behind Julia's eye. Aged thirty-nine when her unpredictable sister Rose tells her the truth about their family and the systematic abuse that took place in their little house in their little town, Julia has to reassess her bewildering childhood. There were those who knew about the terrible things and those who didn't. Julia gathers fragments and unlocks the past, exposing secrets covered with lies. Can the Madison women survive the damage? Once Upon a Perfect Family is creative non-fiction.' (Publication summary)

'He’s in the same spot on Bourke Street every day, down the hill from Parliament House. He arrives in the early morning gloom and stays until dusk.

'Tony settles his wiry frame on an upturned milk crate or sits on folded cardboard on the footpath. He leans back on the wall where an unoccupied warehouse meets a bookshop. Bourke Street’s elegant plane trees shadow him from the morning sun and drip on his umbrella when it rains. His upturned cap rests on the footpath, but money is not his raison d’etre for being here. His positive energy and constancy have led to his nickname, ‘the mentor of Bourke Street’.

'Hundreds greet him. He shares a positive word and a smile with everyone. No one knows the true story of his life. His name is Tony Brooks.

'Everyone has a story. This is his, and it’s not what you might think.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Every Parent of an adult child’s nightmare – you’ve made it. Your child is grown up. He’s got a great job, living a full and happy life overseas. You don’t have to worry about him like you did when he was young. And then a call from halfway across the world. Something terrible has happened…

'This is Jen Hutchison’s memoir of the ancient pilgrimage pathways of the Camino de Santiago, the story of finding and healing yourself after unimaginable loss. A tale of shock, loss and ultimately resilience and finding a kind of peace, one step at a time. She learned that death cannot change a mother’s love, and that she could live with her grief. She met intriguing pilgrims, shared stories and soaked up amazing intimacies and life-shaping insights. She was gifted with wisdom from unexpected quarters.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.