Cirrus@Austlit

'The unexplained disappearance of a cat; a misunderstanding involving the daughter of his foster parents; an encounter with a succubus-like figure under a bridge in Alice Springs; an incident with a coconut; a tragic fire; and the unwitting participation in a robbery. These are just a few of the events which shape the life of Christian de Palma. And then there is the burning question: How do sausage rolls come to the rescue of Jodi? This is the tragi-comic tale of a man whose inner world sets him at odds with the world around him.' (Publication summary)

'With hope in his step and a tear in his eye, Salvatore sets off from his native Sicily to carve a new life on the other side of the world. Together with Nunzia and the children, Vito and Maria, he embraces the hardships and isolation of the Far North Queensland sugar cane fields in the 1950s. But his dreams of success are not to be. And only time reveals the degree of success he does achieve. More than a family story, this creative non-fiction memoir emerges from an era on the verge of sugar mechanisation. Set in the context of world, national and local historical events, it depicts a vanished way of life, in an area now prized for its tranquillity and tropical beauty.' (Publication summary)