Cirrus@Austlit

''A younger reader's companion volume to the bestseller The Dreaming Path – learning lessons through story.

'Meet Uncle Rolly, your guide through Dreamtime stories and activities, and join Emily and Jacob as they go on adventures to new and beautiful locations out in the bush. In each chapter, Uncle Rolly tells us all a Dreamtime story, followed by a yarn with the children and their teacher, Ms Green.

'At the end of each chapter, there's a conversation point and an activity that centres on themes such as:

• caring for Country
• being yourself
• learning from hard times
• friendship
• following your dream

'Learn more about how to care for your place and everything in your world, including yourself and your family and friends. This is how we connect with our Dreaming Path and live a happier life.' (Publication summary)

'An extraordinary true story about how one woman was broken down by a secretive, predatory cult – and how she broke free and remade her life.

'An extraordinary true story about how one woman was broken down by a secretive, predatory cult – and how she broke free and remade her life.

'As an 18-year-old on a gap year in Canberra, Liz was approached at a shopping centre by a woman who, unbeknown to her, was a recruiting agent for Providence, a Christian cult that originated in South Korea and currently operates in 72 countries. As a new adult, Liz was struggling to navigate the world and her identity, and as cults do so skilfully, they took advantage of her vulnerability.

'After months of indoctrination, things escalated: Liz moved in with the cult, was cut off from friends and family, and was eventually appointed to the status of 'bride' to the cult's serial rapist leader, Jeong Myeong-Seok (JMS). She travelled to South Korea to visit JMS in prison and stayed at the cult's extravagant compound.

'Upon her return to Australia, Liz was controlled and starved, and underwent a severe physical and mental decline. It was only through the intervention of her parents and professional deprogrammers that she managed to escape.

'In Cult Bride, Liz takes us behind the scenes of a terrifying cult to show us how they operate in plain sight – and how we can unpick the systems that enable them to prey on vulnerable people.' (Publication summary)

'A gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story set in the world of FIFO workers and tradies in Western Australia, from the author of the bestselling Invisible Boys.

'Giacomo Brolo, aka Jack, is a mess. He works piecemeal construction gigs in remote WA, drinks himself to oblivion and is estranged from his family and friends. He's consumed by a self-loathing all too common for closeted men who have grown up in a world of hate and shame.

'But then Jack returns to his regional hometown of Geraldton for a family wedding. He hasn't been back since he fled at the age of eighteen, and his past soon catches up with him.

'Turns out Jack's deeply conservative Italian family would prefer he remained in the closet. Then he finds out he may have conceived a son with his teenage girlfriend, and now Jack needs to convince her and her new husband that he's fit to be a father figure. And whatever happened to Xavier, the former schoolmate who Jack was in love with and whose rejection spurred him to leave Geraldton in the first place?

'Is Jack doomed to live a dead-end life – or can he open himself up to the possibility of love, found family and connection?' (Publication summary)

'A hilarious and painfully relatable memoir about a mum who sets out to revolutionise herself and her parenting – one failed experiment at a time.

'Victoria Vanstone thought she’d be the kind of mum who would spend her days ironing names onto school shirts and who knew the best chocolate-chip cookie recipe off by heart. But as the years have ticked by, she’s got the feeling that woman isn’t going to show up. Instead, she’s the kind of mum who shouts and throws plastic cups at walls.

'So Victoria has made a choice: she’s going to try to become the mum she’s always wanted to be. She embarks on a year of parental development – enrolling in a parenting course, implementing an exercise regime, awkwardly trying to make friends as an adult, and a holiday away from her family – to reset the parenting dials.

'What follows is a year of trying, failing and trying again, but one that ultimately brings joy back into family life. As Victoria stumbles from one misadventure to the next, she begins to realise that getting things wrong isn’t the end of the world – it’s actually where the fun begins.

'Heart-warming and side-splitting, Mumming will have you nodding your head in recognition and celebrating the imperfections of parenting.'  (Publication summary)

'A wry, tender and funny debut novel about art and love – and how the act of seeing lies at the heart of both 

'All Ellie Robertson has wanted to be since childhood is a painter: after all, that’s the easiest way to speak without actually having to say anything. But now she’s turning thirty, has had a major career win, and is only just realising that she might have let some minor things slide. Like, for instance, working out how to love another human being.

'So Ellie decides to do what any normal person would do: paint a portrait of each of her exes, from the childhood crush to the woman she may or may not still be madly in love with. The only problem is that she now needs to get in touch with everyone she’s dated, and not everyone is exactly happy to talk to her.

'Hilarious and bittersweet, Painting Portraits of Everyone I’ve Ever Dated is a story of a young woman who decides to finally try and see other people – even if she runs the risk of (god forbid) finally seeing herself.'  (Publication summary)

'A midwife's stories of birth, babies and learning how to stand up for what she believes – and the women she supports

''Birth happens everywhere. At home. In the bath. On the floor. In operating theatres, hospital beds, halfway up staircases and in the shower. The memories of some births are fleeting, while others leave a mark long after I've disposed of my gloves. But every single one is remarkable.'

'From her first days as a junior nursing student thrown into a delivery room, through to birthing babies during strict lockdown measures, Labour of Love follows midwife Oceane Campbell as she finds the courage to stand up to doctors, advocate for mothers, catch and save babies, and grieve, celebrate and soothe new parents. 

'We're there as Oceane goes through her own experiences of IVF, miscarriage and birth, as she makes mistakes, learns weird and wonderful things about the pregnant body, and every day witnesses the most transformative, intensely personal and absolutely mind-blowing moment of a person's life.

'Labour of Love explores the issues of consent, risk, misogyny and autonomy that women face as they go through the monumental transition from woman to mother. This is a warm, deeply human and powerfully feminist book about a truly unique job and the way it impacts so many of us.' (Publication summary) 

'She has lived only in shadows, but now she must step into the light.

'Born and raised by the Baleful, an assassin guild spoken of only in hushed rumours, Zinha is chosen for a dangerous assignment – a game of seduction with a deadly goal that will test everything she’s trained for. The King wishes to invade the neighbouring country of Maetora, but he must first neutralise their ruler – and her dangerous magic. 

'Zinha infiltrates The Trial of Power, a magical competition during which the Maetorian Heir chooses his consort. She must seduce the Heir, uncover his mother’s secrets and topple their kingdom from within. But Heir Reyher is not what she expected, and neither are the Maetorians. Especially Mateo, a fellow contestant with his own secrets.

'As Zinha gains more distance from the darkness of her previous life, doubts begin to surface about everything she’s been told. When rumours of a rival assassin threaten her success – and the lives of the people she has come to love – Zinha is forced to choose between the powerful bonds of her past and the fragile hope of an unexpected future. Because time is running out, and the Baleful live by only one rule:' (Publication summary)

A luminous, beautifully observed novel about the people we once were, and the people we can become – if only we're brave enough to try.

'1990: Indu and Vijay leave India for Australia, seeking a better life. But the move isn’t easy on anyone. Not gentle Indu, who becomes even further estranged from her family, nor the ambitious Vijay, who finds himself unmoored in a culture he doesn’t understand. At the centre is Archana, their quiet, sensitive daughter, who forms a shell to survive the bullying of children and the neglect of adults.

'2022: Arch lives her ideal life, solitary and isolated. When her brother calls to say that Vijay is unwell and needs her help, Arch has no choice but to re-enter the world. To do so means confronting her relationship with her father, her queerness and the wounds of her upbringing. But it also might mean opening herself to the potential of a life filled with love.

'Can Arch do what it takes to let in the light?'  (Publication summary)

'A story of enduring love and friendship, and bold wild women who refuse the dictates of their times.

'London 1833: The cast-out child of an aristocratic mother, Hannah 'Birdie' Bird is a laundry maid with a hidden past and a suspicion that the wealthy family she serves is hers.

'Longing for beauty and liberation, Birdie risks everything to change her circumstances. She falls into love and crime, committing an audacious heist. When she is betrayed, she finds herself swept into a wave of female convicts, transported to the ends of her known world.

'The journey to the early Australian settlement drives the women to deepest despair. Birdie finds wonder in even this darkest hour, and forms deep bonds with her fellow prisoners. But greater than even the trials onboard is the fear of what awaits them in Sydney Cove.

'What chance does Birdie have of beating the odds? Can she fight her way to freedom?'  (Publication summary)

'Oriane has a secret.

'Every morning she transforms into the skylark, and it is her song that brings the dawn. Seclusion has kept her safe, but Oriane craves freedom. One morning, Oriane chooses not to return to her human form and continues to fly, through the forest, and into the wild unknown. When she lands unexpectedly in the gardens of the royal palace she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess and a prisoner. Unable to escape palace politics, Oriane yearns for the simplicity of her previous life. There is a growing danger in the royal city, and Oriane and her gift are at the centre of the intrigue. But within the whispers and intrigue comes an unexpected surprise: she may not be as alone as she thought. There may be another like her. The nightingale.' (Publication summary)

'From the author of The Mothers comes a propulsive family drama that explores the possibilities and dangers of designing the perfect child.

'In 2027, Emily is deciding whether to take advantage of a new health service that promises a healthier, stronger baby through gene editing. There's plenty in her family tree that she would like to protect her unborn child against.

'But not everybody loves the so-called designer baby technology.

'Decades later, Adelaide is an ambitious political staffer trying to make a difference. Adelaide and her husband are working towards a goal they've called The Cyprus Project, but their plans risk being derailed when an unexpected threat looms.

'Told across two generations, and two continents, Inheritance is about the legacies we leave our children, the bonds between mothers and daughters, and how it's never too late to fix our mistakes.' (Publication summary) 

'A couple moves to Far North Queensland looking for a fresh start, but can they escape their past? A page-turning domestic thriller for fans of Sally Hepworth and Liane Moriarty.

'On a cold, dark night, two cars collide …

'Inside the vehicle at fault, Jennifer Ashby survives with barely a scratch. In the wreckage of the second, the occupants are not so lucky. Jennifer's good character helps her escape jail, but she is traumatised by the event.

'Desperate for a change, and with her marriage buckling under the stress, she convinces her husband Jon to move to the beautiful but wild Daintree region, far away from family and friends.

'As Jon spends long hours at his new job and Jennifer makes plans to absolve her lingering guilt, cracks begin to form in their idyllic new life. Will the shadow of their past continue to haunt them? Will their dark secret be exposed?'   (Publication summary)

'So-called Australia is built upon a lie: that 97% of the population are human, and the others simply ‘Indigenous’, devoid of the same basic rights.

'Human? is the story of acclaimed Wik artist Ziggy Ramo’s experience growing up under the weight of this lie. We’ve had 236 years of continued destruction in the name of ‘civilised progress’, under an oppressive colonial system that punches down on almost everyone. We all deserve more. But to move forward we have to be honest about the past.

'Written on the precipice of becoming a parent, this is Ziggy’s offering for the future – an attempt to bridge a nation-wide knowledge gap, and start a new conversation. Prerequisite reading for anyone searching for a way forward, together.

'Human? is a book, an album and an exhibition by one of the most exciting voices of this generation. With his powerful debut, Ziggy asks: Would you still fight for human rights if it meant giving up your privilege?

'A groundbreaking, provocative call-to-arms.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'‘I think it was one of us,’ Walter says … ‘We had the perfect opportunity. Everyone’s thinking it, I’m just saying it.’

'The last thing Hallie and her drama classmates expect to find on a high school scavenger hunt is a dead body. In a town with a population of about thirty-six, no one has experience with murder investigations, but now everyone’s asking who killed Ms Lovelace.

'The drama kids thought they were the only people nerdy enough to be at school on a Sunday. When they learn that Adam Tolentino, football star, drama-club nemesis and the hottest boy in school, was there too, Hallie is given the task of finding out what he knows – but she soon learns there’s more to Adam than meets the eye.

'Although still grieving her favourite teacher, Hallie knows the show must go on. Managing a musical and a murder investigation is a lot, but Hallie and her friends won’t give up on Ms Lovelace – or each other.' (Publication summary)

'The fascinating true story of Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, Sydney a quiet revolution in Australian history, from a side street of the red-light district.

'Alana Valentine's mother, Janice, was married by the charismatic and controversial Methodist minister Ted Noffs at the Wayside Chapel in 1969. Not long after that, however, Janice died, leaving behind many unresolved questions for her family. Years later, Alana found a photo of her mother on her wedding day, and the longing to speak to her about that day â" a day when her mother radiated hope for a new beginning â" drove her to seek out and find others who had begun new chapters of their lives at Wayside, an institution that is etched into the folklore of Sydney and this country more generally.

'As part of the research process for the play that was to become Wayside Bride, staged at Belvoir Theatre in 2022, Alana set up a website where people could upload stories and photos of their own marriages. This book contains many of the remarkable stories that didn't make their way into the play, stories that reshape our understanding of this country's social history, from a uniquely Australian institution where people have been welcomed for decades in spite of social taboos around race, class, religion and sexuality.' (Publication summary)

'A stunning debut novel from a bright new voice in Australian fiction in this deeply affecting portrait of a dysfunctional family.

'For the past seven years, Clare has been living in London. She works for a judge on child protection cases. Her partner, Miriam, is devoted to raising their young son, Rupert; their days are dominated by nap times, laundry, and hiding from each other.

'When Clare returns to Melbourne to visit her ailing father, another family crisis looms - her brother Max's long-term drug addiction. She turns her efforts towards helping Max into rehab, but is this at the expense of her family back in London?

'Moving, heartbreaking and insightful, Together We Fall Apart is a beautifully written novel about running away and coming home.' (Publication summary)
 

'150,000 adoptions took place in Australia between 1950 and 1975. It is estimated that one in 15 was forced. Proud Dhunghutti woman, laywer, human rights advocate and former midwife Lynda Holden tells her own heartbreaking story and of her fight for justice.

'In 1970, Lynda was eighteen, unmarried and pregnant when she was forced to give her baby up for adoption. She was sent by a doctor to a Catholic girls' home for unmarried mothers, and told she'd have no hope of keeping her child because she was Aboriginal.

'After twenty-six years, Lynda was finally able to make contact with her lost son – but the much wished for reunion didn't go well. When she looked into the adoption records, she found a web of lies – lies about her family, the baby's father, her 'consent' for the adoption – and her Indigenous heritage had been completely erased.

'So began a quest for justice: Lynda took on the Catholic Church in an attempt to right the wrongs of the past. In this incredibly powerful memoir, she sheds light on the lasting impacts of forced adoption on mothers, children and their families, and gives voice to the countless women who have been silenced for generations.' (Publication summary)

'Victoria Vanstone was trapped in a cycle of binge drinking and hangxiety. In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, she charts her transition from party girl to parent, and how she eventually chose love over liquor.

'Victoria grew up in 1980s England in a happy home full of laughter, booze and a disturbing amount of fancy-dress parties. From her youthful days downing cheap wine at the local park to dodging disastrous relationships and a messy run-in with a firework, her reliable mate alcohol was never far from reach.

'Eventually, Victoria found herself in Australia with a husband and a child on the way. After sobering up for her first pregnancy, becoming a boring, bottom-wiping, cleaning machine meant she soon returned to her binge-drinking ways, and had to grapple anew with the habits and beliefs that had gone unchecked since childhood.

'Can a party girl put down the pint glass for good?

'Incredibly funny and highly relatable, A Thousand Wasted Sundays is for anyone that has ever had a close encounter of the drinking kind. For fans of Rosie Waterland, Judith Lucy, Dolly Alderton and Adam Kay.' (Publication summary) 

'Norm has lived in Norman his whole life. It's where he grew up with his dad, where he went to school and met his best friend Ella. But the town is dying - the river has dried up, and with it all the jobs.

'One night at the pub, on the anniversary of his dad's death, Norm announces a plan. He's going to build a Big Thing - like Coffs Harbour's Big Banana or Ballina's Big Prawn - to drive tourism to the town and give it a future. And to show Ella that she could have a future here too, maybe even with him.

'Ella, meanwhile, plans to leave Norman for the big smoke. She's tired of being a big fish in a small pond, especially when that pond is running out of water.

'Ella encourages Norm's big idea nonetheless. If it works, Norm will have a four-metre-high reminder of her. And if not, at least they'll have one last perfect summer together.' (Production summary)