Which book should we read next?
Chosen by a Horse By Susan Richards
Synopsis
When Susan Richards agrees to take on one of the abused horses just rescued by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a new chapter opens in her turbulent life. Caring for this astonishingly trusting creature, she begins a relationship that will change her view of the world.
Susan Richards lost her mother at the age of five and was raised by uncaring relatives; married unhappily and divorced, she had also become an alcoholic. At forty-three, she found herself living with just horses for company: the diva-like Georgia, boyish Tempo and hopeless romantic, Hotshot. While Susan is vainly attempting to capture the rescued horse assigned to her, a skeletal mare called Lay Me Down walks into the horse trailer of her own volition. Susan takes her home, and this broken and badly treated animal proves to her that trust is not just for dreamers. Beautifully-written, poignant, and often sharply funny, this memoir is an inspiring must-read for anyone who has ever loved a horse, and anyone who has ever lost their way in life.
Floodtide By Judy Nunn
Synopsis
Floodtide is a brilliant observation of turbulent times in the mighty 'Iron Ore State' - Western Australia. The novel traces the fortunes of four men and four families over four memorable decades: The prosperous post-war 1950s when childhood is idyllic and carefree in the small, peaceful city of Perth . . . The turbulent 60s when youth is caught up in the conflict of the Vietnam War and free love reigns . . . The avaricious 70s when Western Australia's mineral boom sees the rise of a new young breed of aggressive entrepreneurs . . . The corrupt 80s and the birth of 'WA Inc', when the alliance of greedy politicians and powerful businessmen brings the state to its knees, even threatening the downfall of the federal government.
Each of the four who travel this journey has a story to tell. An environmentalist fights to save the primitive and beautiful Pilbara coast from the careless ravaging of mining conglomerates; a Vietnam War veteran rises above crippling injuries to discover a talent that gains him an international reputation; and an ambitious geologist joins forces with a hard-core businessman to lead the way in the growth of Perth from a sleepy town to a glittering citadel. But, as the 90s ushers in a new age when innocence is lost, all four are caught up in the irreversible tides of change, and actions must be answered for.
Floodtide is a character-driven, merciless rush of blood from the pen of Judy Nunn, one of Australia's master storytellers.
A Partisan's Daughter By Louis De Bernières
Synopsis
Set in North London during the Winter of Discontent, A Partisan's Daughter features the relationship between Chris, an unhappily-married, middle-aged Englishman and Roza, a young Serbian woman who has recently moved to London.
While driving through Archway in the course of his job as a medical rep, Chris is captivated by a Roza, standing on a street corner. Clumsily, he engages her in conversation, and he secures an invitation to return one day for a coffee.
His visits become more frequent and Roza starts to tell him the story of her life, drawing him increasingly into her world - from her childhood as a daughter of one of Tito's partisans, through her journey to England and on to her more recent colourful and dangerous past in London.
A Partisan's Daughter is about the power of storytelling. It is also a beautifully wrought and unlikely love story which is both compelling and moving to read. Here is another wonderful novel from the author of the bestselling Captain Correlli's Mandolin.
Almost Perfect By Kelly Denley
Synopsis
Growing up, Kelly Denley had dreamed of the perfect family, and of being the perfect mum, but as the mother of eight she discovered that almost perfect was actually just perfect enough...
After being a full-time wife and mother since the age of 17, by 31 Kelly Denley has lost sight of who she truly is, so when the pregnancy test comes back positive for number eight, she isn't exactly ecstatic. Then things get a whole lot worse. Postnatal depression takes its toll on Kelly, her father is given just a year to live, her husband is retrenched, one daughter is hospitalised and another on antidepressants and, in a final frightening development, her eldest boy, who suffers from Asperger's, threatens suicide. Distraught, Kelly blames herself and knows that everything has to change.
As the family gradually find their feet, in a bid to prove she's more than just a mother, Kelly takes a giant leap out of her comfort zone and dons a school uniform to finish an education cut short by teen pregnancy. The suburban mum, used to sneers about her large brood like 'Don't you know what causes it?' blitzes the HSC with an amazing 97.3.
But that, it turns out, is just the start of an incredible journey for the Denleys. Concerned about her children's school problems and behaviour, Kelly takes dramatic action, putting her university dream on hold so the family can travel Australia for a year in the hope that the experience will draw them closer together. How Kelly tackles both the joy and pain that lie in wait, from discovering the beauty in nature she'd always been too busy to see and mastering the art of home-schooling in a tent, to nearly drowning in a flooded river and more heartache over her children, makes Almost Perfect an inspiring, moving, yet often hilarious rollercoaster ride of a memoir.
