'Probably more people have shed tears over the last page of A Town Like Alice than about any other novel in the English language... remarkable' Guardian Jean Paget is just twenty years old and working in Malaya when the Japanese invasion begins. When she is captured she joins a group of other European women and children whom the Japanese force to march for miles through the jungle - an experience that leads to the deaths of many. Due to her courageous spirit and ability to speak Malay, Jean takes on the role of leader of the sorry gaggle of prisoners and many end up owing their lives to her indomitable spirit. While on the march, the group run into some Australian prisoners, one of whom, Joe Harman, helps them steal some food, and is horrifically punished by the Japanese as a result. After the war, Jean tracks Joe down in Australia and together they begin to dream of surmounting the past and transforming his one-horse outback town into a thriving community like Alice Springs... With an introduction by Eric Lomax, author of The Railway Man

En gruppe europæiske kvinder drives som krigsfanger rundt i det japansk-besatte Malaya under 2. verdenskrig. Da en af dem efter krigen vender tilbage, erfarer hun, at hendes redningsmand stadig lever og hun beslutter at efterspore ham

Ruined City chronicles the struggles of a British aviation company called the United Airways in the aftermath of World War II. The story follows the company's new managing director, Peter Moran, as he tries to revive the struggling airline. Moran's efforts are hindered by various challenges, including labor strikes, financial troubles, and competition from other airlines. As Moran works to turn the company around, he also becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a woman named Mary. The novel explores themes of business ethics, loyalty, love, and the struggles of post-war society. Ultimately, Moran's determination and ingenuity help him to overcome the obstacles he faces and to bring success to the United Airways.

Discover a classic adventure from the author of A Town Like Alice and On the Beach. Keith Stewart is an ordinary man. However, one day he is called upon to undertake an extraordinary task... When his sister's boat is wrecked in the Pacific, he becomes trustee for his little niece. In order to save her from destitution he has to embark on a 2,000 mile voyage in a small yacht in inhospitable waters. His adventures and the colourful characters he meets on his journey make this book a marvellous tale of courage and friendship. Delightfully written and filled with a reverent attention to mechanical details, Shute's posthumous tale of an unassuming man's remarkable adventure is as enjoyable today as it was on publication. 'Something about this author's calm, deliberate style creates unexpected excitement... we are warmed by the justice and sheer pleasure of it' Independent

Winner of the Children's Choice Book Awards' Teen Choice Debut Author Award Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody. Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself. This title has Common Core connections.

The Chequer Board tells the story of five men who meet in a military hospital during World War II. The men are from different backgrounds and have had different life experiences, but they are brought together by their experiences of war and injury. The novel follows each man's personal journey, as they struggle to come to terms with their injuries and the impact of the war on their lives. The five men make a pact to meet again in ten years, to see how their lives have progressed. The novel then shifts to their individual stories, as each man faces his own challenges and obstacles in the years that follow. The novel explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, love, and the impact of war on individuals and society. Ultimately, the men's lives intersect again, and the novel shows the different paths they have taken and the lessons they have learned.

A teen plunges into a downward spiral of addiction in this classic cautionary tale. January 24th After you’ve had it, there isn't even life without drugs… It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth—and ultimately her life. Read her diary. Enter her world. You will never forget her. For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl’s harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful—and as timely—today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.

In the Wet is a science fiction novel set in a future Australia where a charismatic pilot named David Anderson becomes a national hero after he flies a mission to save a group of people during a devastating flood. The story is told through the eyes of various characters who are connected to Anderson, including his wife, his brother, and a young girl who becomes his protégé. Along the way, the novel explores themes of love, loyalty, faith, and the importance of following one's own moral compass. Ultimately, "In the Wet" is a touching story of one man's journey to make a difference in the world, and the impact he has on the lives of those around him.

Round the Bend follows the life of Tom Cutter, an Englishman who becomes a pilot and settles in the Middle East after World War II. Tom starts an air freight business and becomes fascinated by the spiritual beliefs of the local Muslim population, which leads him to start his own religion called "The Way." Through his travels and teachings, Tom attracts a group of devoted followers and becomes a spiritual leader. However, his unconventional beliefs and practices lead to conflict with some of the more traditional religious and political authorities in the region. Despite the challenges he faces, Tom remains committed to his beliefs and the pursuit of a more peaceful and harmonious world. The novel explores themes of religion, spirituality, cultural differences, and the clash between tradition and modernity.

The story of the resilient people who make their home in Australia's far north, from the 'wild time' of the frontier days to the present. 'There is something about the Gulf Country that seems to become part of you.' With its great rivers, grassy plains and mangrove-fringed coastline, Queensland's remote Gulf Country is rich and fertile land. It has long been home to Aboriginal people and, since the 1860s, also to Europeans and to settlers with Chinese, Japanese and Afghan ancestry. Richard J. Martin tells the story of a century-and-a-half of exploration and colonisation, the growth of cattle and mining industries, and the impact of Christian missionaries and Indigenous activism, through to the present day. He acknowledges the brutal realities of violence and dispossession, as well as the challenges of life on the land in northern Australia. Drawing on extensive interviews with people across the Gulf Country, this is a lively and colourful account of tight-knit communities, relationships across cultures and resilience in the face of adversity.