Cirrus@Austlit

'Sneaking through airport security, two passports burned a hole in his pocket; one allowing him to run, the other never allowing him to escape. Leaving behind a devastated family and the girl it was impossible to forget was never going to be easy. Simon was brutally attacked in a South African prison cell a er a night out with his brother, Jaco, ended in violence.

'A week later, he was struggling to button his shirt beneath the pinstripe suit as he climbed the corporate ladder of the recruitment industry. In the aftermath of his mistakes, the only thing distracting him from the torment of suicidal thoughts was the pretty redhead sitting across from him in the cube farm. In his quest to end peace and redemption, the last thing he expected to find was love.

'From bestselling author, Kelly Van Nelson, comes this gripping coming-of-age novel about a young man battling his inner turmoil after a harrowing incident changes the course of his life forever. Rich with emotional undertones of overcoming guilt, battling with a strewn identity, and a budding romance which seems doomed from the very beginning, this story unravels an intriguing and touching analysis of what happens to a soul plagued by misfortune. In a journey from the southern tip of Africa to the shadows of Edinburgh Castle, this eloquent reflection captures the contrasts of society and the power of family and friends in the recovery of trauma, but first there is a detour to the darkest corners of the mind' (Publication summary)

'Anna is in her sixties with her dream job and the man to match. Claire is a forty-six-year-old philanthropist with a picture-perfect family. And then there is Molly, who has seen more strife in her twenty years than anyone should, but has more love to give than most.

'When their lives are turned upside down, these women must discover how to start over. Guided by Suitability, a clothing an styling service for disadvantaged women, Anna, Claire and Molly find the courage to rebuild their lives – with a few outfit changes along the way.

'Inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success, The Changing Room proves that sometimes losing everything leads you towards freedom, and that hope can be found even in the unlikeliest of places.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In these compelling stories Pippa Kay introduces you to many families. Meet the boy who loses his little brother while playing cricket with his family, the grandfather reunited with the first girl he kissed, and the girl who loses her mother in the fog. Share the journey with the French tourist who finds family in Kyogle. Go back in time and meet a barmaid and her grandmother who claim they can get away with murder. Go forward in time and meet the survivors - a father and daughter searching for other survivors.'  (Publication summary)

'Naomi Adams is a midwife, a mother and a grandmother. Her two young grandsons, Chris and Max, have been the centre of her world since both her sons were killed in a car accident. Her daughter-in-law, Zoe, was said to have been driving on that devastating afternoon. Zoe is badly injured in the crash and once she recovers, still ruined, she walks away from her boys and from Naomi for eight years.

'But now she wants her sons back. And Naomi can't let them go.

'Exploring the age-old themes of duty and love, exile and return, this is the story of Naomi and Zoe. It is also the story of Chris and Max, who adore their grandmother but long for their mother, whether or not she knows what's best for them. The choice they make has grave repercussions for the whole family, which will reverberate for years to come.

'Beautifully told in spare, vivid prose Once on a Road is a superb first novel about the complexity of families and how, eventually, even the most tangled and unhappy relationships can be redeemed by forgiveness and love.' (From the publisher's website.)

'It is Warsaw in 1939, and Elzunia is an indulged teenager dreaming of heroism and romance. But when war breaks out, her illusions are shattered. As bombs fall, she meets Adam, a taciturn airman who becomes an activist in the Polish Underground, and later flies bombers for the RAF. Meanwhile, in occupied Warsaw, Elzunia discovers her own strength in ways she never imagined.

'Nocturne is the story of two people whose relationships are played out against the turbulent events of the Second World War in Poland and England. It is a story of doomed heroism and moral triumph in the face of cruelty and betrayal. It is also a story of redemption through love.

'Drawing on her extensive research and her own experiences as a child during the war in Poland, Diane has recreated the tension, confusion and terror of civilians when their lives are on the line and their humanity is put to the test.

'Some of the characters in Nocturne were inspired by real people. One of them was the remarkable Australian nursing sister, Muriel Knox Doherty, who was placed in charge of the hospital set up in the grounds of the Belsen-Bergen concentration camp. Another was the heroic Underground courier Jan Karski who tried to change the course of history by alerting Allied leaders about the genocide in Poland.' (Author's blurb)