NEVER TO SURRENDER
1941. A young German-Australian soldier meets a passionate Cretan girl and together they are caught up in guerrilla warfare during the brutal Nazi invasion of Crete. A heartfelt, sweeping saga of World War II, from the peaceful farmlands of NSW to the Mediterranean's glittering, dangerous shores, for readers of Fiona McIntosh, Nicole Alexander and Natasha Lester.
1939: Australian-born Carl Smith loves his country and despises fascism, but he never meant to go to war. He is training to be a doctor and wants to protect lives, not take them. But if enlisting is the only way he can save his German-born father, Dr Louis Schmidt, from an internment camp, he will.
1941: Athena Papandrakis has grown up on the island of Crete, swimming in jewelled waters and exploring ancient ruins. Now her home is under threat and she is ready to fight to defend it from the hated Nazi invaders, just as her ancestors sought to protect their island home in the past.
When Carl arrives in Crete with Allied Forces soldiers evacuated from the Greek mainland, he and Athena are intoxicated by each other. Carl is not the man her traditional parents would have chosen for their daughter, however, and hiding the secret of his German heritage from Athena could further threaten their love.
Decisions must be made when they find themselves in an intense final stand against the Nazis as the Allied Forces retreat and the Cretan peasants are forced into guerrilla warfare. For Carl and Athena, it becomes a desperate quest for survival ... and love, loyalty and trust will fight a battle to the last.
1939: Australian-born Carl Smith loves his country and despises fascism, but he never meant to go to war. He is training to be a doctor and wants to protect lives, not take them. But if enlisting is the only way he can save his German-born father, Dr Louis Schmidt, from an internment camp, he will.
1941: Athena Papandrakis has grown up on the island of Crete, swimming in jewelled waters and exploring ancient ruins. Now her home is under threat and she is ready to fight to defend it from the hated Nazi invaders, just as her ancestors sought to protect their island home in the past.
When Carl arrives in Crete with Allied Forces soldiers evacuated from the Greek mainland, he and Athena are intoxicated by each other. Carl is not the man her traditional parents would have chosen for their daughter, however, and hiding the secret of his German heritage from Athena could further threaten their love.
Decisions must be made when they find themselves in an intense final stand against the Nazis as the Allied Forces retreat and the Cretan peasants are forced into guerrilla warfare. For Carl and Athena, it becomes a desperate quest for survival ... and love, loyalty and trust will fight a battle to the last.
GALLIPOLI STREET
Set against the backdrop of two great world wars and the world-changing events between, Gallipoli Street is an epic story of three Australian families whose destinies became entwined by war, tragedy and passion.
Gallipoli Street is a story of mothers, sons, sisters and lovers, and of the anguish, passion, joy, loss and heartbreak of this period, as experienced by the three families who are not only connected by a common address, but ultimately bound by a greater fate. Inspired by her grandfather’s own story, in Gallipoli Street Mary-Anne O’Connor brings a fresh perspective to the story of modern Australia.
Book Club Questions:
1. Which character did you most connect with and why?
2. What fundamental differences did you see between Veronica and Rose and how did this affect their life choices?
3. What significance do you think the title holds? (Themes, metaphors etc.)
4. In what ways did Gregory affect Rose and how did you feel about her after she left him?
5. Did you feel Clarkson was justified in his actions in France?
6. How did you feel about Jack's behaviour after the war?
7. In what ways did Jack influence his son Pete's experience of war?
8. If you were Theresa, would you have forgiven Pete?
9. Has Gallipoli Street influenced your view of the Anzac generation? In what ways?
1. Which character did you most connect with and why?
2. What fundamental differences did you see between Veronica and Rose and how did this affect their life choices?
3. What significance do you think the title holds? (Themes, metaphors etc.)
4. In what ways did Gregory affect Rose and how did you feel about her after she left him?
5. Did you feel Clarkson was justified in his actions in France?
6. How did you feel about Jack's behaviour after the war?
7. In what ways did Jack influence his son Pete's experience of war?
8. If you were Theresa, would you have forgiven Pete?
9. Has Gallipoli Street influenced your view of the Anzac generation? In what ways?
As the boat reached the ship and they hoisted him up he took one last look at Gallipoli and knew part of him would remain there too, lying with the dead, until the soil found their collective dust and the breeze whispered their spirits across the cove.
Jack knew he had changed in that place- that the breeze would carry with it the man he used to be, who they all were on the other side of time before living including killing. Every man who landed there would leave the ghost of his former self behind.
WORTH FIGHTING FOR
From Darwin to Pearl Harbour, Sydney to Papua New Guinea, a compelling story of courage, honour and a great love set against the epic backdrop of the Second World War.
Eighteen-year-old Junie Wallace is a smart girl and, with her two brothers away at war and her third brother just killed in action, she knows there is only one way to save the family farm for her grieving parents. Unfortunately, that solution involves marrying the unscrupulous Ernest, and breaking the heart of the young drover she loves, Michael. But the war is looming ever closer, and when Pearl Harbour brings the threat of Japanese aggression to Australian shores, the fates of many becomes inextricably interwoven.
From the explosive battles of the Pacific campaign to the desperate fighting in the Papuan New Guinea rainforest; the dancehall gaiety of Sydney's Trocadero to the terror of the Darwin bombings, this epic family saga brings home the importance of mateship and of fighting for what you believe in, even when impossible odds seem stacked against you, even when all seems lost...
Worth Fighting For is a resounding testament to the enduring force of love: a reminder of what can be achieved if you draw on your reserves of courage and listen to the truth in your heart.
Eighteen-year-old Junie Wallace is a smart girl and, with her two brothers away at war and her third brother just killed in action, she knows there is only one way to save the family farm for her grieving parents. Unfortunately, that solution involves marrying the unscrupulous Ernest, and breaking the heart of the young drover she loves, Michael. But the war is looming ever closer, and when Pearl Harbour brings the threat of Japanese aggression to Australian shores, the fates of many becomes inextricably interwoven.
From the explosive battles of the Pacific campaign to the desperate fighting in the Papuan New Guinea rainforest; the dancehall gaiety of Sydney's Trocadero to the terror of the Darwin bombings, this epic family saga brings home the importance of mateship and of fighting for what you believe in, even when impossible odds seem stacked against you, even when all seems lost...
Worth Fighting For is a resounding testament to the enduring force of love: a reminder of what can be achieved if you draw on your reserves of courage and listen to the truth in your heart.
Book Club Questions:
1. Did you feel Junie 'had' to marry Ernest?
2. Should she have told the truth about the baby to Ernest or Michael from the beginning?
3. In what ways did Marlon's own indigenous heritage affect his behaviour and decisions?
4. Did you feel Michael made the right choice about the Japanese prisoner at the time?
5. Was Katie too hard on Junie before she went to New Guinea?
6. Do you think Marlon made the right decision about the expedition?
7. Would you have forgiven Eliza?
8. Do you think Junie should have gone back into the jungle a second time at they end?
9. Did you agree with Marlon's pragmatic opinion about choosing realistic goals when it comes to happiness?
10. What are the multiple themes as suggested by the title?
1. Did you feel Junie 'had' to marry Ernest?
2. Should she have told the truth about the baby to Ernest or Michael from the beginning?
3. In what ways did Marlon's own indigenous heritage affect his behaviour and decisions?
4. Did you feel Michael made the right choice about the Japanese prisoner at the time?
5. Was Katie too hard on Junie before she went to New Guinea?
6. Do you think Marlon made the right decision about the expedition?
7. Would you have forgiven Eliza?
8. Do you think Junie should have gone back into the jungle a second time at they end?
9. Did you agree with Marlon's pragmatic opinion about choosing realistic goals when it comes to happiness?
10. What are the multiple themes as suggested by the title?
WAR FLOWER
From a swinging sixties Sydney to the killing fields of Vietnam, an epic story of love, war and forgiveness
The 1960’s are beating a fresh pulse of political and cultural upheaval through Sydney but the sheltered life of awkward convent school-girl Poppy Flannery make such changes redundant for her. But that doesn’t stop her from longing to join in, especially if that means spending time with the popular boy she secretly loves, Ben Williamson. So when the opportunity for a dream escape to Surfers Paradise arrives, Poppy and her twin sister Rosemary seize it, and find themselves in the midst of the swinging sixties at last.
Rosemary embraces their secret new life with a vengeance, discovering drugs, boys and radical politics in a haze of parties, music festivals and protest marches. But such freedom is stolen when Rosemary’s great love Angus, along with Ben, are sent to Vietnam.
Soon a war fought thousands of kilometres away will arrive on the twins’ door in the form of orphaned refugee, Thuy. As many more victims begin to appear, including shattered versions of Australian soldiers, they must decide how far they will go for the men they adore, and ask themselves whether love really is all that you need.
The 1960’s are beating a fresh pulse of political and cultural upheaval through Sydney but the sheltered life of awkward convent school-girl Poppy Flannery make such changes redundant for her. But that doesn’t stop her from longing to join in, especially if that means spending time with the popular boy she secretly loves, Ben Williamson. So when the opportunity for a dream escape to Surfers Paradise arrives, Poppy and her twin sister Rosemary seize it, and find themselves in the midst of the swinging sixties at last.
Rosemary embraces their secret new life with a vengeance, discovering drugs, boys and radical politics in a haze of parties, music festivals and protest marches. But such freedom is stolen when Rosemary’s great love Angus, along with Ben, are sent to Vietnam.
Soon a war fought thousands of kilometres away will arrive on the twins’ door in the form of orphaned refugee, Thuy. As many more victims begin to appear, including shattered versions of Australian soldiers, they must decide how far they will go for the men they adore, and ask themselves whether love really is all that you need.
IN A GREAT SOUTHERN LAND
From the soft green hills of Ireland to the wild Shipwreck Coast of southern Victoria, the rich farm lands of New South Wales to the sudden battlefields of Ballarat, this is an epic story of the cost of freedom and the value of love in a far-flung corner of the world where a new nation struggles to be born.
1851: After the death of her father, young Eve Richards is destitute. Her struggle to survive sees her deported in chains to the colony of New South Wales, penniless and alone. But here in this strange new world fortune smiles on the spirited, clever Eve in the shape of a respectable job offer that will lead to a quiet, secure life. Then the fiery and charismatic Irishman Kieran Clancy crosses her path...
For Kieran Clancy, the kindest man on earth, and his brother Liam, the promise of free passage and land in this brave new world is a chance to leave the grief and starvation of County Clare behind. But while Liam works to farm their land, Kieran has the fire of gold-fever upon him and is drawn to the goldfields of Ballarat. As tensions grow on the goldfields, and with the blood of an Irish rebel still beating through his heart, Kieran finds himself caught up in the cataclysmic events at the Eureka Stockade and faces the decision of a lifetime: whether or not, when it comes to love, blood will remain thicker than water...
Mary-Anne O’Connor’s new book, In a Great Southern Land, is an epic, sweeping tale revolving around a clever, spirited woman and a fiery, charismatic Irishman. Dramatic, gripping and colourful, it’s historical fiction of a quality that will take you on a beguiling roller-coaster ride, skillfully written by an author inspired by her own family history. - Better Reading
1851: After the death of her father, young Eve Richards is destitute. Her struggle to survive sees her deported in chains to the colony of New South Wales, penniless and alone. But here in this strange new world fortune smiles on the spirited, clever Eve in the shape of a respectable job offer that will lead to a quiet, secure life. Then the fiery and charismatic Irishman Kieran Clancy crosses her path...
For Kieran Clancy, the kindest man on earth, and his brother Liam, the promise of free passage and land in this brave new world is a chance to leave the grief and starvation of County Clare behind. But while Liam works to farm their land, Kieran has the fire of gold-fever upon him and is drawn to the goldfields of Ballarat. As tensions grow on the goldfields, and with the blood of an Irish rebel still beating through his heart, Kieran finds himself caught up in the cataclysmic events at the Eureka Stockade and faces the decision of a lifetime: whether or not, when it comes to love, blood will remain thicker than water...
Mary-Anne O’Connor’s new book, In a Great Southern Land, is an epic, sweeping tale revolving around a clever, spirited woman and a fiery, charismatic Irishman. Dramatic, gripping and colourful, it’s historical fiction of a quality that will take you on a beguiling roller-coaster ride, skillfully written by an author inspired by her own family history. - Better Reading
WHERE FORTUNE LIES
Where Fortune Lies is 'an epic and lyrical tale of love, adventure and gambled fortunes that ranges from the wild cloaked woodlands of Ireland to the Victorian Alps of colonial Australia from a bestselling Australian author. For fans of Nicole Alexander, Colleen McCullough, and Fiona McIntosh.'
1879: 'Invisible' Anne Brown fears she'll never escape the harshness and poverty of her life in County Donegal, Ireland. Until, one heartbreaking Beltane night, her life is changed forever and she leaves to seek her fortune in far-flung Australia.
Upon the death of their father, charismatic Will Worthington and his beloved sister Mari are stunned to find he has left all their money and a ticket to the far shores of Australia to an enigmatic painted woman. It seems their only hope for a brighter future also lies in Australia, where together with Will's best friend, the artist Charlie Turner, they seek their fortunes.
Charlie finds love with a mysterious exotic dancer, yet there is trouble on the horizon. His new friends up in the Victorian Alps might be teaching him to run with the wild horses and find his talent with a brush at last, but life in a bushranger gang is a dangerous game.
As Charlie struggles to break free from his fate, all four are left with impossible choices as fortunes waver between life and death, loyalty and the heart.
Mary-Anne always weaves multiple layers to her tales, and here is no different. A cast of complex and truly compelling characters reels you in and takes you on an absolutely riveting adventure. I was completely sold on this story from the start. - Better Reading
1879: 'Invisible' Anne Brown fears she'll never escape the harshness and poverty of her life in County Donegal, Ireland. Until, one heartbreaking Beltane night, her life is changed forever and she leaves to seek her fortune in far-flung Australia.
Upon the death of their father, charismatic Will Worthington and his beloved sister Mari are stunned to find he has left all their money and a ticket to the far shores of Australia to an enigmatic painted woman. It seems their only hope for a brighter future also lies in Australia, where together with Will's best friend, the artist Charlie Turner, they seek their fortunes.
Charlie finds love with a mysterious exotic dancer, yet there is trouble on the horizon. His new friends up in the Victorian Alps might be teaching him to run with the wild horses and find his talent with a brush at last, but life in a bushranger gang is a dangerous game.
As Charlie struggles to break free from his fate, all four are left with impossible choices as fortunes waver between life and death, loyalty and the heart.
Mary-Anne always weaves multiple layers to her tales, and here is no different. A cast of complex and truly compelling characters reels you in and takes you on an absolutely riveting adventure. I was completely sold on this story from the start. - Better Reading
Sisters of Freedom
This turn of the century epic tale is a passionate story of three sisters as they strive for freedom and independence and follow their hearts to unexpected places, from a master storyteller. For readers of Fiona McIntosh, Nicole Alexander and Natasha Lester.
Sydney, Christmas, 1901. Federation has been achieved but Australian women are yet to gain the right to vote in their new nation's elections. Bolshy, boisterous Frankie Merriweather is a passionate advocate for women's rights, determined to dedicate herself to the cause, never marrying or becoming a mother. She can't understand her artistic sister Ivy, who wants a life of ease and beauty with her soon-to-be fiance, law student Patrick Earle. Meanwhile, their married sister Aggie volunteers in an orphanage, decrying the inequality of Australia's social classes ... and longing to hold a baby in her arms. When an accident takes Ivy, wounded and ill, into the violent and lawless zone of the Hawkesbury River, a year of change begins. Ivy's burgeoning friendship with her saviour Riley Logan, a smuggler, and his sister, the poverty stricken but valiant Fiona, will alter the lives of all three women forever.
Sydney, Christmas, 1901. Federation has been achieved but Australian women are yet to gain the right to vote in their new nation's elections. Bolshy, boisterous Frankie Merriweather is a passionate advocate for women's rights, determined to dedicate herself to the cause, never marrying or becoming a mother. She can't understand her artistic sister Ivy, who wants a life of ease and beauty with her soon-to-be fiance, law student Patrick Earle. Meanwhile, their married sister Aggie volunteers in an orphanage, decrying the inequality of Australia's social classes ... and longing to hold a baby in her arms. When an accident takes Ivy, wounded and ill, into the violent and lawless zone of the Hawkesbury River, a year of change begins. Ivy's burgeoning friendship with her saviour Riley Logan, a smuggler, and his sister, the poverty stricken but valiant Fiona, will alter the lives of all three women forever.
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
DRESSED BY IRIS
A vivid, romantic story of Sydney in the 1930s Depression - the heartbreak, the glamour, the dark underbelly, the struggle towards a better day - and one young woman's dream of designing her way from rags to riches.
1930: Seventeen-year-old Iris Mitchell dreams of designing clothes, but there's little spare cash for fashion in their shanty-town home. The gift of a single purple ribbon from would-be boyfriend John Tucker, however, creates an unexpected opportunity ... and when Iris's brother Jim joins the Sydney Harbour Bridge construction, the large, dirt-poor but loving Mitchell family can move to the city. Iris will be torn away from John, but he's Protestant and she's Catholic, taboo in their world, so perhaps it wasn't meant to be.
1932: By day, Iris scrubs the floors at Caron's, an upmarket department store. By night, she designs and sews in her family's tiny, crowded house. Friendship with gorgeous, livewire Natasha, one of Caron's models, allows Iris to show her skills, but will her talent be acknowledged or exploited?
When John reappears, passions are reignited, and Iris must face not only their religious divide, but the apparent impossibility of having both marriage and a career. Meanwhile, the Mitchells must navigate life in a city riven by corruption, dirty politics and gambling. Will their faith, determination and deep family bond save them when tragedy and adversity strike? In 1930s Sydney, the stakes have never been higher.
1930: Seventeen-year-old Iris Mitchell dreams of designing clothes, but there's little spare cash for fashion in their shanty-town home. The gift of a single purple ribbon from would-be boyfriend John Tucker, however, creates an unexpected opportunity ... and when Iris's brother Jim joins the Sydney Harbour Bridge construction, the large, dirt-poor but loving Mitchell family can move to the city. Iris will be torn away from John, but he's Protestant and she's Catholic, taboo in their world, so perhaps it wasn't meant to be.
1932: By day, Iris scrubs the floors at Caron's, an upmarket department store. By night, she designs and sews in her family's tiny, crowded house. Friendship with gorgeous, livewire Natasha, one of Caron's models, allows Iris to show her skills, but will her talent be acknowledged or exploited?
When John reappears, passions are reignited, and Iris must face not only their religious divide, but the apparent impossibility of having both marriage and a career. Meanwhile, the Mitchells must navigate life in a city riven by corruption, dirty politics and gambling. Will their faith, determination and deep family bond save them when tragedy and adversity strike? In 1930s Sydney, the stakes have never been higher.