Audiobooks narrated by Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood

"While Stella Miles Franklin took on the world, her beloved sister Linda led a short, domestic life as a wife, mother and sister. In a remarkable, genre-bending debut novel Amy Brown thrillingly reimagines those two lives - and her own - to explore and explode the contradictions embedded in brilliant careers and a woman's place in the world. Sliding Doors meets Wifedom. Stella Miles Franklin's autobiographical novel My Brilliant Career launched one of the most famous names in Australian letters. Funny, bold, often biting about its characters, the novel and its young author had a lot in common. Miles went on to live a large, fiercely independent and bohemian life of travel, art and freedom. Not so her beloved sister Linda. Quiet, contained, conventional, Linda was an inversion of Stella. A family peacemaker who married the man Stella would not, bore a son and died of pneumonia at 25. In this reflective, witty and revealing novel, Amy Brown rescues Linda, setting her in counterpoint with Stella, and with the lives of two contemporary women: Ida, a writer whose writing life is on hold as she teaches and raises her young daughter; and Stella, a singer-songwriter who has sacrificed everything for a career, now forcibly put on hold. Binding the two is the novella that Linda might have written to her sister Stella - a brilliant alternative vision of My Brilliant Career. Innovative and involving, My Brilliant Sister is an utterly convincing (and hilarious) portrait of Miles Franklin and a moving, nuanced exploration of the balance women still have to strike between careers and family lives. It gives a fresh take on one of Australia's most celebrated writers and an insight into life now."

Amy Brown (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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Bennelong and Phillip: A History Unravelled

"The first joint biography of Bennelong and Governor Arthur Phillip, two pivotal figures in Australian history – the colonised and coloniser – and a bold and innovative new portrait of both. Shortlisted for the 2025 National Biography Award Winner of the 2024 ACT Literary Award, Non-Fiction Winner of the Canberra Critics' Circle Award 2024, History/Biography Shortlisted for the 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Award, Australian History Shortlisted for the 2024 NSW History Award, Australian History Prize and NSW Community and Regional History Prize Shortlisted for the 2024 Age Book of the Year, Non-Fiction Shortlisted for the 2024 Ernest Scott Prize Shortlisted for the 2024 Magarey Medal for Biography 2023 Australian Book Review Books of the Year 2023 Sydney Morning Herald Best Reads of the Year Bennelong and Phillip were leaders of their two sides in the first encounters between Britain and Indigenous Australians, Phillip the colony's first governor, and Bennelong the Yiyura leader. The pair have come to represent the conflict that flared and has never settled. Fullagar's account is also the first full biography of Bennelong of any kind and it challenges many misconceptions, among them that he became alienated from his people and that Phillip was a paragon of Enlightenment benevolence. It tells the story of the men's marriages, including Bennelong's best-known wife, Barangaroo, and Phillip's unusual domestic arrangements, and places the period in the context of the Aboriginal world and the demands of empire. To present this history afresh, Bennelong & Phillip relates events in reverse, moving beyond the limitations of typical Western ways of writing about the past, which have long privileged the coloniser over the colonised. Bennelong's world was hardly linear at all, and in Fullagar's approach his and Phillip's histories now share an equally unfamiliar framing."

Kate Fullagar (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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The Safe House

"Brought to you by Penguin. SEVEN STRANGERS SEEKING REFUGE. BUT DANGER IS EVERYWHERE THEY TURN... When Jess accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback, the isolated, all-inclusive solo trip is just what she needs. But Jess isn't as alone as she thinks. As bushfires rage in the distance, strangers start showing up to seek refuge. And as the fires start closing in, tensions in the group begin to rise. Then, the phones stop working. All exits are cut off. There's no way out. Quickly, Jess's guests begin to panic. And when the first person goes missing, she realises that someone in the house isn't who they say they are. The danger is already inside . . . Praise for Cameron Ward 'A fabulous, action-packed adventure' JO SPAIN 'A fantastic, full throttle thriller that never takes its foot off the accelerator' JOHN MARRS 'A taut and thrilling ride. Pure escapist pleasure!' VICTORIA SELMAN ©2023 Cameron Ward (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Cameron Ward (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life

"Brought to you by Penguin. A blazing, genre-bending masterpiece from one of the most inventive writers of our time Looking for wonder and some reprieve from the everyday, Anna Funder slips into the pages of her hero George Orwell. As she watches him create his writing self, she tries to remember her own . . . When she uncovers his forgotten wife, it's a revelation. Eileen O'Shaughnessy's literary brilliance shaped Orwell's work and her practical nous saved his life. But why - and how - was she written out of the story? Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder recreates the Orwells' marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and WW II in London. As she rolls up the screen concealing Orwell's private life she is led to question what it takes to be a writer - and what it is to be a wife. Compelling and utterly original, Wifedom speaks to the unsung work of women everywhere today, while offering a breathtakingly intimate view of one of the most important literary marriages of the 20th century. It is a book that speaks to our present moment as much as it illuminates the past. PRAISE FOR ANNA FUNDER 'Funder skilfully deploys fictional techniques to make the material jump off the page: crafted scenes with their own story-arcs, naturalistic dialogue, fully-realised characters with their own plotlines' Independent on Sunday 'Meticulous and compassionate' London Review of Books 'Rigorously researched, tenderly told' Independent ©2023 Anna Funder (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Anna Funder (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood, Jane Slavin (Narrator)

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Sisters in Captivity: Sister Betty Jeffrey OAM and the courageous story of Australian Army nurses in

"The incredible account of Sister Betty Jeffrey OAM and the Australian war nurses who survived the bombing of evacuation ship SS Vyner Brooke in February 1942, and subsequently spent three years in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra. During those perilous years surviving in squalid conditions, Sister Jeffrey kept a secret diary of day-to-day events which, after the war, was turned into a hugely successful book and radio serial: White Coolies. She would often write of the powerful sisterhood that evolved as the prisoners of war took strength from each other, even forming a vocal orchestra. White Coolies was a major inspiration for the 1997 film Paradise Road. Sisters in Captivity builds on those diaries to not only re-live the years the nurses spent as POWs but also recounts the early life and influences that encouraged Betty Jeffrey into the field of nursing as a lifelong endeavour. A tireless advocate for returned nurses, she co-founded the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre with sole survivor of the Banka Island Massacre, fellow POW, and her longtime friend Vivian Bullwinkel. Featuring 32 pages of photos including personal mementos of Betty Jeffrey, courtesy of her family, and her drawings from the prison camps, this is a powerful account of women's resilience amidst the devastating brutality of war."

Colin Burgess (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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Echo Lake

"In the sleepy, scenic Southern Highlands of New South Wales, a beautiful young woman goes missing. Six years later, recently divorced historian Rose McHugh leaves the city to start a new life in the Highlands and finds a roll of film buried in her back garden. On it are photos of the missing woman. Against the advice of an enigmatic detective, she uses her powers of persuasion and her knack for deciphering clues to pursue the case. As Rose searches through tangled secrets and hidden places haunted by the past, she realises there is a killer at large. As she makes new friends, and dangerous enemies, Rose closes in on a suspect-but will she solve the mystery too late to save herself? Set in the atmospheric villages and forests of the Southern Highlands, Echo Lake is a compulsive read that will keep you guessing until the very end. 'As cosy as it is compulsive, Sauers brings the eerie beauty of winter in the Southern Highlands to life. A highly recommended, vivid read!' JACQUELINE BUBLITZ, author of Leave the Girls Behind 'Not just a whodunnit, Echo Lake also contemplates what makes for a good life, reminds the reader of the importance of historical truth and throws in a ghost story for good measure.' MARYROSE CUSKELLY, author of The Cane 'Move over Miss Marple. With its indefatigable heroine, mist-shrouded setting, cast of quirky characters and as many trips to the pub as there are mysteries to solve, Echo Lake is cosy crime at its dynamic, atmospheric best - and Sauers is certainly a writer to watch.' ANNA DOWNES, author of The Shadow House 'Full of atmosphere; the very landscape echoes both freedom and foreboding. Rose McHugh, middle-aged and newly single, is a convincing, compelling and intelligent protagonist who stumbles onto a mystery and won't let it go.' VIKKI PETRAITIS, author of The Unbelieved"

Joan Sauers (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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Daughter of Calabria

"Previously published as Echoes of War 'Blanchard at her breathtaking best. Rich in every sight, taste and smell.' Australian Women's Weekly Set in Mussolini's Italy amid great upheaval, this is the story of one woman's determination to find her place in a world that men are threatening to tear apart. Another heart-rending novel inspired by a true story from Australia's bestselling author of The Girl from Munich. Calabria, Italy, 1936 In a remote farming village nestled in the mountains that descend into the sparkling Ionian Sea, young and spirited Giulia Tallariti longs for something more. While she loves her home and her lively family, she would much rather follow in her nonna's footsteps and pursue her dream of becoming a healer. But as Mussolini's focus shifts to the war in Europe, civil unrest looms. Whispers of war are at every corner and her beloved village, once safe from the fascist agenda of the North, is now in very real danger. Caught between her desire to forge her own path and her duty to her family, Giulia must draw on the passion in her heart and the strength of her conviction. Can she find a way to fulfill her dreams without sacrificing all she holds dear? 'Richly imagined, heartbreaking and utterly captivating ... yet another outstanding piece of historical fiction from Blanchard, cementing her place at the top of this genre.' Better Reading 'This is emotional reading for anyone born of immigrant stock as it explores the pain of leaving your homeland and your family to find opportunity elsewhere … an entertaining tale of fiction that will make your heart melt and sing and shatter.' Glam Adelaide 'A powerful novel about powerful women … a powerful evocation of a time, a place and a cultural vision which provided a significant boost to Australia's population and its development as a multi-cultural destination of choice for refugees - both voluntary and choiceless.' Carpe Librum "

Tania Blanchard (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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Letters from Berlin

"From the bestselling author of The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams comes an unforgettable tale of love, courage and betrayal inspired by a true story Berlin, 1943 As the Allied forces edge closer, the Third Reich tightens its grip on its people. For eighteen-year-old Susanna Göttmann, this means her adopted family including the man she loves, Leo, are at risk. Desperate to protect her loved ones any way she can, Susie accepts the help of an influential Nazi officer. But it comes at a terrible cost - she must abandon any hope of a future with Leo and enter the frightening world of the Nazi elite. Yet all is not lost as her newfound position offers more than she could have hoped for … With critical intelligence at her fingertips, Susie seizes a dangerous opportunity to help the Resistance. The decisions she makes could change the course of the war, but what will they mean for her family and her future? 'An original and innovative take on the World War II genre that captures the hauntingly desperate essence of the war. Tania Blanchard has written yet another spectacular novel. Don't miss this.' Better Reading"

Tania Blanchard (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

Audiobook

Star-Crossed: The heartwarming and witty romcom you won’t want to miss

"Brought to you by Penguin. ‘I loved this completely. This is a bright, brilliant, joyful love story that spreads into the size of a small town, with its chorus of voices and old homes and childhoods and gossips. A total triumph.' Josie Silver, bestselling author of ONE DAY IN DECEMBER A gloriously feel-good romantic comedy about good friends, true love and all the signs of the zodiac, perfect for anyone who loves David Nicholls, Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes. Destiny doesn't happen by accident . . . When Justine Carmichael (Sagittarius, aspiring journalist and sceptic) bumps into her teenage crush Nick Jordan (Aquarius, struggling actor and true believer) it could be by chance. Or it could be written in the stars. Justine works at the Alexandria Park Star - and Nick, she now learns, relies on the magazine's astrology column to guide him in life. Looking for a way to get Nick’s attention, Justine has the idea of making a few small alterations to the horoscope for Aquarius before it goes to print. After all, it’s only the stars. What could possibly go wrong?"

Minnie Darke (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

Audiobook

Islands

"From the bestselling author of Hope Farm. Helen and John are too preoccupied with making a mess of their marriage to notice the quiet ways in which their daughters are suffering. Junie grows up brittle and defensive, Anna difficult and rebellious. When fifteen-year-old Anna fails to come home one night, her mother's not too worried; Anna's taken off before but always returned. Helen waits three days to report her disappearance. But this time Anna doesn't come back ... A spellbinding novel in the tradition of Helen Garner, Charlotte Wood and Georgia Blain, Islands is a riveting and brilliant portrait of a family in crisis. “Peggy Frew is an amazing writer…Elegant, tender and very wise.” CHRIS WOMERSLEY, author of City of Crows"

Peggy Frew (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

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The Lace Weaver

"1941, Estonia. As Stalin’s brutal Red Army crushes everything in its path, Katarina battles to protect her grandmother’s precious legacy – the weaving of gossamer lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations. Meanwhile Lydia is suffocating in her prison of privilege in Moscow, yearning for freedom and to discover her beloved mother’s Baltic heritage escapes to Estonia. Soon, these two young women find themselves in a fight for life, liberty and love."

Lauren Chater (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Barbershop Girl

"You don’t become a notorious British comedian without rubbing a few people the wrong way. Ben Martindale has decamped to Australia until the media frenzy surrounding his latest scandal dies down. When he meets Amy, a perky blonde barber who dresses like a 1950s pin-up, he knows he’s hit gold in terms of material for his weekly London column. Little does it occur to him that Amy might be just a little bit upset when she finds out what he’s been writing…"

Georgina Penney (Author), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood