"A heart-warming novel of family secrets, unexpected journeys, and the redemptive power of music, from the bestselling author of The Kookaburra Creek Cafe and The Wattle Island Book Club.
HOPE
Single mother Sarah is guilt-ridden when an accident leaves her young daughter Melody seriously injured and their once music-filled lives silent. When she discovers her grandmother Rosalie's war correspondence, she thinks she might have found a way to save her family, but it will require a leap of faith .
HEARTACHE
In 1945 Rosalie is desperate to forge a career as a journalist, and taking photos for soldiers serving in the war might just lead to the job of her dreams. But when two brothers she's been corresponding with come home to Redgum River, her life is turned upside down, and she flees, vowing to never return.
HEALING
Decades on, the hope that a music retreat can help Melody lures the three generations of women to Redgum River, where Sarah draws together the threads of Rosalie's past. A heartbreaking family mystery comes to light, and they discover that the ghosts of the past can lead them to their future, and they might all be more in tune than they first thought.
'Docker soars from the absolute heart' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
'The best of the best of heart-wrenching yarns.' WOMAN'S DAY
'The voice of Australian multi-generational sagas.' READ THE WRITE ACT
'Perfect for a weekend read.' BETTER READING"
"A moving and heartwarming story about taking risks and finding a new lease on life, by the bestselling author of The Banksia Bay Beach Shack.
COURAGE
In 1950, teenager Anne flees Wattle Island for the big city, where she learns that establishing the life she's always dreamed of isn't as easy as she thought. When a secret she's been keeping is discovered, she has no choice but to retreat home and live a quiet life. But when tragedy strikes, establishing the Wattle Island book club is the only thing that offers her solace.
PASSION
In 2018, spirited librarian Grace has been writing bucket lists since she was a child, and is ticking off as many challenges as she can now that life has handed her a hefty dose of perspective. Heading to Wattle Island on one of her adventures, she is determined to uncover a long-held mystery surrounding the town's historic book club, unlocking a buried truth that has been trapped between the dusty pages of secrecy for years.
HOPE
All too aware of how fragile life is, Anne and Grace must come together to help the residents of Wattle Island find the bravery to move beyond the trauma that tore the book club apart. Budding relationships offer new hope, along with a library project for the town's future - but it will take more than a few lively literary debates to break the silence and heal the past.
Welcome to the Wattle Island Book Club, where some chapters may end, but others are just beginning...
'Docker soars from the absolute heart.' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
'The best of the best of heart-wrenching yarns.' WOMAN'S DAY
'Perfect for a weekend read.' BETTER READING
'The voice of Australian multi-generational sagas.' READ THE WRITE ACT"
"From the bestselling author of The Kookaburra Creek Café and The Cottage At Rosella Cove.
A year is a long time in the memory of a small town. Stories get twisted, truths become warped, history is rewritten.
MYSTERIES
When Laura discovers an old photo of her grandmother, Lillian, with an intriguing inscription on the back, she heads to the sleepy seaside town of Banksia Bay to learn the truth of Lillian’s past. But when she arrives, Laura finds a community where everyone seems to be hiding something.
SECRETS
Virginia, owner of the iconic Beach Shack café, has kept her past buried for sixty years. As Laura slowly uncovers the tragic fragments of that summer so long ago, Virginia must decide whether to hold on to her secrets or set the truth free.
LIES
Young Gigi and Lily come from different worlds but forge an unbreakable bond – the ‘Sisters of Summer’. But in 1961 a chain of events is set off that reaches far into the future. One lie told. One lie to set someone free. One lie that changes the course of so many lives.
Welcome to the Banksia Bay Beach Shack, where first love is found and last chances are taken…
“Docker soars from the absolute heart” AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY"
"Nicole is starting again. She’s left her old life behind and has just arrived in the sleepy Australian town of Rosella Cove, renting the old cottage by the water. At first Nicole is determined to avoid making personal ties, but when she discovers a hidden box of letters she soon realises that she’s not the first person with secrets to have lived there. As Nicole begins to let her guard down, she starts to find connections with the close-knit community – especially with handsome Danny, who has been helping her restore the cottage. But Nicole still struggles with her own past, which seems determined to catch up with her. How long can she keep running? And what will happen if she stops?"
"Welcome to the Kookaburra Creek Cafe.
THE PAST
For Hattie, the cafe has been her refuge for the last fifty years – her second chance at a happy ending after her dreams of being a star were shattered. But will the ghosts of her past succeed in destroying everything she’s worked so hard to build?
THE PRESENT
For Alice, the cafe is her livelihood. After Hattie took her in as a teenager, Alice has slowly forged a quiet life as the cafe’s manager (and chief cupcake baker). But with so many tragedies behind her, is it too late for Alice’s story to have a happy ending?
THE FUTURE
For Becca, a teenager in trouble, the cafe could be the new start she yearns for. That is, if she can be persuaded to stop running from her secrets. Can Becca find a way to believe in the kindness of strangers, and accept that this small town could be the place where she finally belongs?
One small town. Three lost women. And a lifetime of secrets."
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