Cirrus@Austlit

'On a midsummer’s night in 1941, a family is illegally arrested, by order of Stalin, in cosmopolitan Rīga, Latvia, and deported in cattle wagons to the frozen wilderness of Siberia. 

'Sixty years later, the son, Laimonis aka Lucky, now an actor, visits Sydney and recounts the events to his long-lost sister, Māra, and her household. Māra, an architect, missed out on arrest and suffers survivor guilt. Her son, Andy, is a depressive musician and her daughter, Zinta, a wayward activist, their problems probably effects of the initial trauma. There are many family secrets, and a mysterious old man who spooks Lucky in the supermarket. Lucky’s tale helps each family member reach some stability. 

'This is a fast-paced and informative novel about survival, resilience, family and love, appealing to anyone interested in how history shapes us, or in their Latvian heritage.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Jinx Farber is a beautiful, young portrait painter who is pregnant with her second child - and dying of melanoma. Felix Morton is the doctor who misdiagnosed her case and denied her the chance to be treated. Jinx is consumed with anger and spends her last months suing Felix. We experience the battle from both sides until finally Jinx gives birth to her daughter. And then everything changes. This is a story of life, death, art, the Australian sun and seeing situations from different perspectives. It is readable, moving, has intriguing characters and tackles the topical issue of coping with cancer.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.