Susan Duncan

Sleepless in Stringbark Bay

Judy Nunn

Richard Flanagan

Peter FitzSimons

Nicole Alexander

Caroline Overington

Paul Ham

Tom Keneally

Mike Carlton

This fine collection of great Australian writers’ includes pieces from Judy Nunn, Tom Keneally, Paul Ham, Peter FitzSimons, Mike Carlton, Richard Flanagan, Nicole Alexander, Susan Duncan and Caroline Overington. Featuring extracts from Elianne by Judy Nunn, Shame and the Captives by Tom Keneally, 1914 by Paul Ham, Ned Kelly by Peter FitzSimons, First Victory by Mike Carlton, The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, Sunset Ridge by Nicole Alexander, Gone Fishing by Susan Duncan, and No Place Like Home by Caroline Overington – The Great Australian Writers' Collection 2013 is the perfect opportunity for readers to discover great new books from great Australian authors, or to get a taste for authors they might have heard about or read a great review about, but have been unsure if they’ll like their work. And the best part of all – it’s FREE! So start reading and sharing your new discoveries today.

The Great Australian Writers' Collection 2013

The third memoir from the author of bestsellers Salvation Creek and The House at Salvation Creek. The third memoir from the author of bestsellers Salvation Creek and The House at Salvation Creek. In The House on the Hill, Susan Duncan reaches an age where there’s no point in sweating long-term ramifications. There aren’t any. This new understanding delivers an unexpected bonus – the emotional freedom and moral clarity to admit to hidden and often fiendish facts of ageing and, ultimately, the find ways to embrace them. This, in turn, unleashes an overwhelming desire to confront her intractable 95-year-old mother with the dreadful secrets of the past before it is too late, no matter the consequences. It is the not-knowing, she says, that does untold damage. Interwoven with stories from the land – building a sustainable eco-house on the mid-coast of New South Wales with her engineer husband, Bob, and grappling with white-eyed roans, dogs, bawling cattle markets, droughts and flooding rains, not to mention blunt-speaking locals – this is a book about a mother and daughter coming to terms, however uneasy, with the awful forces that shaped their relationship. As the inconstancies of age slow her down, Susan Duncan writes with honesty about discovery and forgiveness, and what it takes to rework shrinking boundaries into a new and rich life.

The House on the Hill

Takes the reader on a memorable trip to this beguiling place and presents all aspects of its distinctive way of life. Discover a magical place where the only way home is by boat.

A Life on Pittwater

In this memoir, Susan Duncan reaches an age where there's no point in sweating long-term ramifications. There aren't any. This new understanding delivers an unexpected bonus - the emotional freedom and moral clarity to admit to hidden and often fiendish facts of ageing and, ultimately, to find ways to embrace them. It also unleashes an overwhelming desire to confront her intractable 94-year-old mother with the dreadful secrets of the past before it is too late, no matter the consequences. It is the not-knowing, she says, that does untold damage. Interwoven with stories from the land - building a fully sustainable eco-house in the mid-coast of NSW with her engineer husband Bob, and grappling with white-eyed roans, dogs, bawling cattle markets, droughts and flooding rains, not to mention blunt-speaking locals - this is a book about a mother and daughter coming to terms, however uneasy, with the awful forces that shaped their relationship. As the inconstancies of age slow her down, Susan Duncan writes with honesty about discovery and forgiveness and what it takes to rework shrinking boundaries into a new and rich life.

House on the Hill, The

This special story edition takes the words from Susan Duncan's bestselling A Life on Pittwater and offers a rare glimpse of a remarkable part of the world. Susan Duncan came to Pittwater when she impulsively bought a tumbledown, boxy little shack in Lovett Bay. The move changed her life forever, as she describes in her bestselling title, Salvation Creek. Now Susan lives in Tarangaua, the gracious house built for Dorothea Mackellar in 1925 and is a well loved member of the small Pittwater community. A Life on Pittwater takes the reader on a memorable trip to this beguiling place and presents all aspects of its distinctive way of life. There is Susan's lovely home with its gorgeous verandah; the lush surroundings, the bush and the bays; the wildlife and the ever-present dogs; the tinnies, the ferries and the peculiarities of living somewhere without cars; the boatsheds and the working boats; the bushfires; and, above all, the close community life. Welcome to Pittwater where neighbours stop their tinnies to have a quick chat. No-one ever dresses up. The kids take the ferry to school. Goannas wander into kitchens and leeches attach themselves to ankles. Everyone has time for a cup of tea and a slice of homemade fruitcake. It's a place like nowhere else in Australia; and it's also quintessentially Australian. Susan's text describes the life with warmth and heart. This glorious book will make you smile as you turn the pages and lose yourself to the magic of Pittwater.

Susan Duncan

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