‘An emotional love story with great heart’ Sunday Express The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller

'Are you lonely here?' her mother asked. 'Never,' Alice said. 'Not while I am friends with the lyrebird.' Alice has spent her life living on the outskirts of a small town, in a house nestled in bushland. Every other morning, she is visited by a lyrebird. Her bond with this magnificent bird brings her together with her nearest neighbour, Mr Brown, a widower who loves the bush and its treasures as much as she does. But change is coming: Alice is growing up, and having to think about her future (a future which might mean leaving the bush for her education). Mr Brown is getting older, and less able to look after himself. And as the nearby town grows, their beloved lyrebird and bushland are threatened too. A touching story that will resonate with readers everywhere, stunningly illustrated with woodcuts by acclaimed artist Julian Laffan.

Discover this 5-star read: 'Wow' 'Heartwarming' 'Uplifting' 'Thought-provoking' 'One of those rare, special and unique heroines' 'A joy to read' What if the people who have the power to change your life are the ones who have been there all along... Like stars in the night sky, freckles are scattered across Allegra Bird's arms, a legacy from her beloved father. Her legacy from her mother is more complicated - until one question from a stranger inspires a change. What if it isn't about fitting in, but finding the people who make you who you are? Who would those people be? As she searches for connection, Allegra is about to find out that it is our differences that make life worth living - if only someone can help you to join the dots . . . Praise for Freckles 'Fans will adore this heart-warming story about loneliness and connection' Daily Mail 'Funny, thought-provoking and original' Mirror 'A warm and bittersweet tale about finding yourself through family and friendship' Sunday Telegraph 'An endearing story of human frailty, connection and growth' Irish Independent 'Everything a greedy reader wants: a moving story, absorbing characters, engaging writing and as much of a page-turner as you'd expect' Irish Times 'Ahern was born to write and her books to be read by all' My Weekly 'Fresh and timely... asking bolding what and who make us who we are, Freckles manages to team wit and wisdom harmoniously' Echo 'A beautiful, hopeful book when the world needs hope most... inspiring, life-affirming and full of insight' Cathy Kelly Cecelia Ahern's previous novel Postscript was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16th September 2019.

History - Male bird - Female bird - Breeding - Tail - Song - Captivity - Locationion__

Ruby returns to her childhood home, haunted by memories of her sister's death. Reconnecting with her best friend Pete, she uncovers dark family secrets and must confront her own demons. Can love heal the wounds of the past?

An authoritative and entertaining exploration of Australia’s distinctive birds and their unheralded role in global evolution Renowned for its gallery of unusual mammals, Australia is also a land of extraordinary birds. But unlike the mammals, the birds of Australia flew beyond the continent’s boundaries and around the globe many millions of years ago. This eye-opening book tells the dynamic but little-known story of how Australia provided the world with songbirds and parrots, among other bird groups, why Australian birds wield surprising ecological power, how Australia became a major evolutionary center, and why scientific biases have hindered recognition of these discoveries. From violent, swooping magpies to tool-making cockatoos, Australia’s birds are strikingly different from birds of other lands—often more intelligent and aggressive, often larger and longer-lived. Tim Low, a renowned biologist with a rare storytelling gift, here presents the amazing evolutionary history of Australia’s birds. The story of the birds, it turns out, is inseparable from the story of the continent itself and also the people who inhabit it.