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Audiobooks Narrated by Jennifer Vuletic
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"When plans are upended, who can turn them the right way up?
A heartwarming, wise and tender novel about life's twists and turns and figuring out what really matters, from Australian bestselling author Fiona McCallum.
Kind-hearted and practical psychologist Colin Palmer has spent decades helping his clients. Now he's under pressure to retire and hit the road in a new caravan with his wife Joyce.
However, when Joyce abruptly heads off on her own adventure, Colin's perfectly ordered world is flipped upside down. He's left grappling to make sense of their marriage, who he is and what he wants.
Enter no-nonsense, blunt, firecracker ex-nurse Shirley Royal! Recently widowed, Shirley is also searching for meaning after losing the bedrock of her existence. She's ripe for a new project and Colin might just be it!
But just when Colin's future appears bright and assured, thanks to Shirley's friendship, Joyce tumbles back into his world. How will he now navigate a path between his old life and new?"
"A tender, heartwarming novel of unlikely friendships and second chances, perfect for fans of Monica McInerney and Maeve Binchy.
Vivian Molloy hardly expected to retire early from teaching, but for her husband, Dave, she'd do anything. But when Dave abandons her after a weekend away, she returns home to their picturesque town in Tasmania, shell-shocked and alone with nothing to fill her days.
When an old colleague tries to rope her into teaching a writing class at the local library, Vivian is hesitant. How can she teach with her life falling apart? But it is the people she meets that help her remember who she is. Marilyn, tough-as-nails, has a secret passion for reading and a complex family life. Sienna, a young single mother, is trying to outrun her painful past. Quiet Oscar is housesitting for his sister, retreating from the mainland after losing his job.
As the writing class becomes a refuge and strangers become friends, its members will face decisions that will change their lives, and come to realise that when one door closes, others open in its place.
'Warm, wise and full of humour' CATHY KELLY
'An intelligent novel. Esther Campion has woven a poignant story about that journey everyone takes to find their own beloved place in the wide world' BETTER READING"
"When Esther wakes with a breathing tube down her throat, she has no idea where she is or how she got there. In terrible physical condition, Esther is tended to by Grace, the only other person in the building.
In the half-consciousness of her recovery, Esther is desperate to get back to her young kids and grapples with the events of her life as they come flooding back: a childhood spent between warring parents; the demise of her marriage; the struggles she faced when her children were born.
Suspicious of Grace, Esther takes drastic action to escape. But there are certain facts about the reality of her situation – her place in time, her history and her life – that she will need to uncover first.
If You Go is a moving, captivating and unforgettable novel about hope and grief and family, exploring what we inherit and what we pass down."
"Her family's story made Henry Lawson famous. But was it his story to tell?
Fact and fiction meld into one in this stirring family saga set against shifting landscapes and pivotal moments in Australian history. Lillian was born in 1892, the same year Henry Lawson wrote 'The Drover's Wife' and cemented his place in Australia's literary canon.
When Lillian reads the short story as a teenager, she is convinced that it is based upon her own family and becomes determined to prove it. But as the years pass, the truth becomes more problematic, and Lillian must decide what is more important: holding onto the past or embracing the future.
The Story Thief is about mothers and daughters, love, loss and the power of words. Ultimately it is about how each of us must find our own way to live.
‘Brimming with evocative, authentic detail, The Story Thief brings a fresh, feminist perspective to Australian literature and art. Australian historical fiction at its finest.’ LIANE MORIARTY
‘A richly textured and immersive novel filled with defining moments, minute detail and compelling insights into the meaning of loss, love and family.’ NICOLE ALEXANDER
‘Vividly drawn – a delightful book.’ WENDY SHARPE, multi-award winning Australian artist
‘The Story Thief is a finely wrought historical novel about those who have been seen, but not seen, in Australian literature and in life. RYAN O’NEILL, author of The Drover’s Wives"
"From the bestselling author of The Nurses' War comes this charming, funny, pointed look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia, celebrating the extraordinary unseen women who wrote the radio plays that held a nation captive. For readers of Lessons in Chemistry.
Martha Berry is fifty years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare or reward.
Working at the country's national broadcaster, she's seen highly praised talent come and go over the years but when she is sent to work as a secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia's longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word 'pregnant' and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show.
When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts for As The Sun Sets, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial's growing and loyal audience of women listeners.
But she can't keep her secret forever and when she's threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows, or to finally step into the spotlight.
'A cozy, lively, feel-good escape read from one of Australia's best-selling authors.' Booklist, American Library Association"
"Beneath the facade not everything is as it seems...
A moving and suspenseful story of family dynamics, obsession and the power of true friendship from Australia's master storyteller, Fiona McCallum.
On the surface Natasha and Mitchell live an idyllic life in the Adelaide Hills with their two daughters and kelpie cross. While both have busy careers, they ensure time is spent with family and friends.
Natasha, an aspiring interior designer, has started her own homewares shop and is excited to develop her business further. Mitchell, on the other hand, is becoming more withdrawn. Is he pressured by work, having a mid-life crisis or hiding something from his family?
Jesse, a charismatic new locksmith in town, offers to help Natasha with client leads. She welcomes the assistance and distraction. But is Jesse all he makes out to be?
Who ultimately is looking out for whom, and who is hiding from the truth?"
"It’s never too late to reinvent your life
Audrey Lamont has happily devoted herself to family life for the best part of 40 years, but lately she’s become aware that she lost herself somewhere between 'I do' and the weekly shop.
Worse, her academic husband Simon has found time for romance – just not with Audrey. Feeling invisible to everyone, even herself, she flees to her aunt’s home in rural France.
While waiting for her sudden absence to spark a change of heart in Simon, Audrey finds solace in the charms of the French countryside and the company of her aged aunt and a cast of eccentric Bretons.
But soon Audrey discovers going AWOL might do more than save her marriage, it might change her life …
Audrey’s Gone AWOL is a funny and beautifully observed story about losing yourself, finding yourself, and discovering joy.
‘Warm, wise and wonderfully original, this book is for every woman who’s given her life to supporting a husband and raising a family. Every woman who’s forgotten who she is and wants to learn how to hear that quiet voice inside her, the one that says, ‘Just say no.’ Shirley Valentine for the new millennium. This is my book of the year.’ – Louise Allan, author of The Sisters' Song
'Deeply engaging, witty and warm, Audrey is an absolute delight!' – Louise Wolhuter, author of An Afterlife for Rosemary Lamb"
"How well do you ever really know your husband? And how did Libby - a thoroughly decent straighty one-eighty who's never even had a speeding ticket - end up with Ludo?
Loyal country girl Libby Popovic lives a golden life with her confident financier husband Ludo and their two children, Harrison and Ana. When Ludo is jailed for financial fraud, Libby feels agonizingly complicit for hosting the final investor pitch in their home. She's also horrified to discover that her brother lost money as well - and with it his last chance at IVF.
Matters go from atrocious to worse when her family's possessions and home are repossessed, Libby is sacked and Harrison's priceless violin is wrecked. They have no other option but to move to the rural goat farm where Libby was raised and start again.
A warm, funny and outrageously unfair novel about infidelity, financial fraud and goats' cheese, and the possibility of starting your life all over again when everything goes south of the border."
"There's life in these old dogs yet ... and they're about to discover it. A heartwarming and humorous story about rediscovering the small pleasures that make life worthwhile, from Australia's master storyteller.
Howard and Elsie Manning were born on the same day, met at kindergarten, and have been married for 59 years. They have lived sensible, productive lives, and raised two self-sufficient daughters. Now, at 78, they are bored with the predictability of life, fed up with contemporary society, have aching joints and dwindling finances, and - funeral by funeral - their circle of friends is shrinking. Worst of all, they are grieving for their beloved, recently deceased dog Maisie.
Together Howard and Elsie consider bringing their lives to a peaceful end, but it turns out leaving this world is not easy, especially if they want to avoid pain or mess. Even the apparently simple methods have much room for error, as they discover.
Then a knock at the door changes everything ...
Praise for Fiona McCallum
'Fiona McCallum is one of Australia's favourite authors, and Her Time to Shine is another inspiring tale about finding strength and overcoming obstacles.' -CANBERRA WEEKLY"
"The astonishingly rich prize of the 1956 Australian Women's Weekly cookery competition offers two women the possibility of a new kind of future, in this compassionate look at the extraordinary lives of ordinary women - our mothers and grandmothers - in a beautifully realised post-war Australia.
It's 1956, and while Melbourne is in a frenzy gearing up for the Olympics, the women of Australia are cooking up a storm for their chance to win the equivalent of a year's salary in the extraordinary Australian Women's Weekly cookery contest.
For two women, in particular, the prize could be life-changing. For war widow and single mum Ivy Quinn, a win would mean more time to spend with her twelve-year-old son, Raymond. Mother of five Kathleen O'Grady has no time for cooking competitions, but the prize could offer her a different kind of life for herself and her children, and the chance to control her own future.
As winter turns to spring both women begin to question their lives. For Kathleen, the grinding domesticity of her work as a wife and mother no longer seems enough, while Ivy begins to realise she has the courage to make a difference for other women and tell the truth about the ghosts from her past.
But is it the competition prize that would give them a new way of seeing the world - a chance to free themselves from society's expectation and change their own futures - or is it the creativity and confidence it brings?
Praise for Victoria Purman
'Heart-achingly raw yet filled with the beauty of the human spirit, [The Nurses' War] is a triumph that will linger in the heart and psyche.' Karen Brooks, author of The Good Wife of Bath
'A richly crafted novel ... [The Women's Pages] graphically depicts life during those harrowing years. A touching tale and an enthralling read.' Reader's Digest"
"Three sisters, one secret and a question that stretches across generations...a compulsively readable historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author
How much of who we are is destiny and how much is chance?
In 1934, the three Miss Allens - Ruby, Adeline and Clara - arrive in the seaside town of Remarkable Bay for their annual summer holiday. It's the last time they'll spend summer as a family. Adeline is engaged, Ruby is weighing up an offer, and Clara is just eighteen and about to start her life. But by summer's end, the lives they have known will change irrevocably and a mysterious secret will tear the family apart.
Eighty-two years later, Ruby's great-granddaughter Roma Harris moves to the now sleepy Remarkable Bay, retreating from tragedy. Roma's distant cousin Addy arrives too, fleeing a life with too much drama. It's only when the women discover an old guest book that they start asking questions about the mysterious third Miss Allen. Who was she? Why has she disappeared from the family's history?
If they solve this mystery from their past, could it change their futures?"
"Emma Donahue went to Hong Kong to become a nanny to John Chen’s daughter. But John’s world is different, and he is no ordinary businessman – all the gods, demons and dragons in hell want him dead. And though she doesn’t know it, Emma holds the power to save them all…
Kylie Chan's Dark Heavens trilogy is the most exciting Urban Fantasy debut of 2010. Already a smash-hit in the author's native Australia it brings a world of Oriental Gods, martial arts action and romance to the genre."
