Narrative theme: coming of age

Book SynopsisVINTAGE CLASSICS' HARLEM RENAISSANCE SERIESCelebrating the finest works of the Harlem Renaissance, one of the most important Black arts movements in modern history.'White peoples maybe mistreats you an' hates you, but when you hates 'em back, you's de one what's hurted, 'cause hate makes yo' heart ugly - that's all it does'Sandy's in the fifth grade when he's forced to sit on the back row away from his white classmates and denied entry to a new amusement park. His grandmother, who is raising him alongside his mother and aunt, tells him that love is the only thing to make room for in his heart. But it's Sandy's discovery of literature that inspires him to continue his education and make sense of the unjust world he inhabits in the debut novel from one of the foremost pioneers of the Harlem Renaissance.'[Hughes] gives his readers... a guide for careful consideration of the lives of everyday black people. Such a guide is still useful to readers and writers today. Perhaps now more than ever' Angela Flournoy, New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisRemarkable first novel... vividly written, almost painterly' The New York Times Book ReviewOn her first day at a new school, Lily befriends one of the daughters of infamous painter Evan Trentham. He and his wife are trying to escape the conservatism of 1930s Australia by inviting other like-minded artists to live at their home. Lily becomes infatuated with this wild, bohemian lifestyle and longs to truly be a part of the family.But as the years pass, Lily observes the way the lives of these artists come to reflect their art. Yet it's not Evan, but his own daughters, who pay the price for his radicalism. Almost 30 years later, Lily contemplates the ordinary path her own life took, how she has played it safe, but does freedom come at a cost?Shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown 2017Winner of the Stella Prize 2015Winner of the Tina Kane Emergent Writers AwardUniversity of Canberra Book of the Year' 2016Longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary AwardShortlisted for the Victorian Premier'sLiterary Award for an Unpublished ManuscriptShortlised for the Dobbie Literary AwardShortlisted for the Indie Book Award for Debut FictionShortlisted for the NSW Premier's Prize for New WritingShortlisted for an Amazon Rising Star AwardWalter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Academy Recommends' ReadFull of lush, mesmerizing detail' The New YorkerEmily Bitto writes so well about art, childhood, infatuation, loneliness--you name it. The Strays is a knowing novel, and beautifully done.' Meg Wolitzer, author of The InterestingsAn immensely pleasurable read.' Bookseller + PublisherEmily Bitto has written a very stylish and enjoyable debut novel.' The Sunday MailA marvellously accomplished and assured debut... Rich in atmosphere and beautifully observed.' Caroline Baum, Booktopia

Read more less

Book SynopsisA DAILY MAIL 'Must Read' title Bookriot's 50 spring must-read crime novels 'One part mystery, one million parts amazing.' Cosmopolitan 'A coming-of-age drama as much as a crime story…haunting, atmospheric and genuinely mysterious.' Guardian ‘An entrancing, melancholy debut... Mesmerising.’ Daily Mail We lost all three girls that summer. Let them slip away like the words of some half-remembered song and when one came back, she wasn't the one we were trying to recall to begin with. Tikka Molloy was eleven and one-sixth years old during the summer of 1992. That summer, the hottest on record, the Van Apfel sisters – Hannah, the beautiful Cordelia and Ruth – mysteriously disappeared. Did they run away? Or were they taken? The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved. Now, years later, Tikka has returned home and is beginning to piece together what really happened. The summer that shaped her. The girls she couldn’t forget.Trade Review'A coming-of-age drama as much as a crime story, this isn’t a book for those who like things wrapped up neatly, but readers who enjoy something haunting, atmospheric and genuinely mysterious have a treat in store.' * Guardian *'One part mystery, one million parts amazing, this debut from Felicity McLean will be a summer fave.' * Cosmopolitan *'Felicity McLean's accomplished debut...[is] a stunning piece of literary ventriloquism.' * Irish Times *‘An entrancing, melancholy debut... The landscape is superbly captured, but it is the relationship between Tikka and the sisters that lingers... Mesmerising.’ * Daily Mail *'Compelling...it doesn't disappoint...It's rare, and even unnerving, to read something like this and find it absent of fetishization of a young woman's life, and thus full of tenderness and compassion, and a real sense of what gets lost in these situations.' * Nylon magazine *'A taut, beautifully written thriller with a scorching expansive setting. The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone is a fantastic debut and a story that lingers.' * Lisa Ballantyne, author of The Guilty One *‘With echoes of Picnic at Hanging Rock, this is an atmospheric first novel.’ * Daily Mail, Must Read *'A smart, classy thriller that blazes with the heat of Australia and slowly reveals its many layers.' * Fiona Mozley, author of Elmet *'I deeply admire the languid, lived-in prose of Felicity McLean’s lovely novel The Van Apfel Girls are Gone. This is a story as much about forgiving ourselves our own childhoods, as it is about acknowledging and embracing the people we’ve become because of those adolescent (and sometimes life altering) choices.' * Hannah Pittard, author of Visible Empire *'This debut, part coming-of-age story and part crime thriller, is both forceful and unnerving.' * Publishers Weekly *'One would expect [Felicity McLean], who has a background in journalism and biography, to be particularly good at detailing the who, what, where, and when of a mysterious disappearance. She is.' * Washington Independent Review of Books *'Delicious attention to detail... [The Van Apfel Girls] is visceral and tangible.' * Trip Fiction *'Impressive... A well written story which convincingly evokes the place and time in which it is set.' * Crime Review *'Sharp, mysteriously moving and highly entertaining.' * Robert Drewe, author of Shark Net *'How do you escape your childhood, emotionally, actually? This compelling mystery by Felicity McLean has a rare depth of psychological and emotional truth. It will engage your heart.' * Delia Ephron, author of The Lion is In *'A hot, tense thriller set in the midst of a scorching Australian summer, The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone is provocative, gripping, and sure to get under your skin.' * The Bookbag *'McLean expertly maintains an air of suspense as the tragedy unfolds. Tikka is an unforgettable, if not entirely reliable, narrator full of black humour, brutal honesty and naive curiosity. This novel is one that will haunt readers long after they have turned the last page.' * Bookseller + Publisher Five Star Review *'Engrossing and goosebumpy from start to finish, this novel about three young sisters who vanish all together one night has the chilling feel of true events that are stranger than fiction, and the stuff of nightmares. But the magic of McLean's art is not just her gift for evoking, in almost hallucinogenic detail, her haunted narrator's childhood – a time and place linked to Australia's notorious true-life story of a baby dragged off in the night by a wild animal – but to do so in the most charming and irresistible of narrative voices. The result is a novel that is as delightful as it is terrifying, and just scary good.' * Tim Johnston, bestselling author of Descent and The Current *'A smart debut. Beautifully atmospheric with its great sense of time and place.' * Melina Marchetta, author of On the Jellicoe Road *'I loved it.' * Bryan Brown, actor *'A wry, sad coming-of-age story and a well-crafted first novel.' * Kirkus *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?Trade Review“Had me fully on board in the first couple of pages, sticking with me long after finishing.” -- Frank Fleming, author of Superego * Frank Fleming *'Breakwell’s examination of society is as precise and pointed as his humor, taking readers on a roller-coaster ride to a bittersweet conclusion.' -- Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnother wonderful new series from the top 10 bestselling author of The Cornish Midwife, Jo Bartlett. Welcome to Seabreeze Farm.Unhappy with life in London, and with her love life a complete disaster, Ellie Chapman desperately needs a change. So when she learns she’s inherited a farmhouse perched high up on the cliffs above the English Channel, it feels like the perfect escape. But ramshackle and dilapidated, and ruled by the world’s naughtiest donkey, Seabreeze Farm is not as picture perfect as Ellie imagined. And then there’s brooding local vet Ben Hastings, who seems to make it his mission to make life on the farm even harder for Ellie!With money tight, Ellie slowly rebuilds the tired old farmhouse. And as the farm comes to life under Ellie’s care, Ellie’s spark returns too. Because as every day passes, Ellie begins to realise that there is something special about Seabreeze Farm, and there’s no other place she’d rather be.This book was previously published as two novellas - Give Me Your Answer Do and Second Chances at Channel View Farm.Praise for Jo Bartlett:'I love second chance stories. I love returning home stories. So a book combining both is an absolute winner for me. The Cornish Midwife is simply gorgeous. Stunning setting, wonderful characters, and oozing with warmth. A triumph from Jo Bartlett.' Jessica Redland'Perfectly written and set in the beating heart of a community, this story is a wonderful slice of Cornish escapism.' Helen J Rolfe

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe brand NEW instalment in the bestselling Harpers Emporium series by Rosie Clarke. Can the Harpers Girls look forward to some happy times as a new dawn rises over London?Sally Harper is busy juggling running London’s Oxford Street Store Harpers and looking after her beautiful new-born daughter, whilst husband Ben is overseas on another dangerous mission, this time to rescue a friend in need.Young Becky Stockbridge finds herself in a difficult situation which could bring shame to her and her family. Will Becky, with the help of her friends find her happy ever after and keep her secret? Marion Jackson is blessed with a son as she eagerly awaits the return of her husband Reggie. But all is not right when Reggie returns. Is Marion strong enough to save her family from yet another crisis?As the war clouds retreat and the victory bells ring, tears and joy mingle with those of sadness as the world counts the true toll of war and celebrates peace.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe brand NEW instalment in the bestselling Harpers Emporium series by Rosie Clarke. Can the Harpers Girls look forward to some happy times as a new dawn rises over London?Sally Harper is busy juggling running London’s Oxford Street Store Harpers and looking after her beautiful new-born daughter, whilst husband Ben is overseas on another dangerous mission, this time to rescue a friend in need.Young Becky Stockbridge finds herself in a difficult situation which could bring shame to her and her family. Will Becky, with the help of her friends find her happy ever after and keep her secret? Marion Jackson is blessed with a son as she eagerly awaits the return of her husband Reggie. But all is not right when Reggie returns. Is Marion strong enough to save her family from yet another crisis?As the war clouds retreat and the victory bells ring, tears and joy mingle with those of sadness as the world counts the true toll of war and celebrates peace.

Read more less