Search results for ""Author Suzanne Leal""

A story of unshakeable belief and unbending faith from the author of The Deceptions.'The Watchful Wife is assured and engrossing. As our crisp, clear-eyed narrator with more than one cross to bear, Ellen guides us through a tangle of ethical and emotional quandaries that feel both timeless and immediate, keeping us on her side the whole way through.' Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Before You Knew My Name'Leal's unusual perspective on the destructive force of an allegation gives this book real moral complexity...Nuanced, troubling and convincing.' Jock Serong, author of The SettlementRaised by her severe parents in a punitive and authoritarian church, Ellen's narrow world is upended when she meets Gordon, a fellow teacher. Responding to his interest with curiosity and, before long, pleasure, Ellen is both transformed and beguiled by the connection, love and laughter he brings into her life.Three years later, a knock on the door changes everything. Two police officers have come to accuse Gordon of a shocking crime. Abandoned and reviled by those around her, Ellen steadfastly refuses to believe Gordon has done anything wrong. In a world of swirling suspicion, however, she will have to fight to protect him.But what will that cost her? And what will she discover about him along the way?A propulsive and provocative novel about love, faith and courage from the bestselling author of The Teacher's Secret.'Suzanne Leal's books always grab me from the very first sentence and The Watchful Wife is no exception. It is intriguing, engaging and deeply moving from beginning to end. I loved Ellen from the first moment I met her.' Jane Caro, author of The Mother'Leal delivers an intriguing page-turner with emotional depth, nuance and moral complexity: The Watchful Wife is a truly gripping read from start to finish.' Mark Brandi, author of The Others'The Watchful Wife is a tense Australian thriller that reminds us: sometimes you need an outsider to fight injustice.' Jack Beaumont, author of The Frenchman

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'Elegantly structured, unsettling, yet with moments of surprising wit - in this novel Suzanne Leal captures the life of a small community with real tenderness.' Kathryn Heyman, author of FloodlineA popular teacher with something to hide.A new principal determined to uncover the truth.A young mother, suddenly single, who struggles to rebuild her life.A grieving daughter who must learn to face the world again.A family forced to flee their homeland and start afresh.A small town can be a refuge, but while its secrets are held, it's hard to know who to trust and what to believe.The Teacher's Secret is a tender and compelling story of scandal, rumour and dislocation, and the search for grace and dignity in the midst of dishonour and humiliation.

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Moving from wartime Europe to modern day Australia, The Deceptions is a powerful story of old transgressions, unexpected revelations and the legacy of lives built on lies and deceit.Prague, 1943. Taken from her home in Prague, Hana Lederova finds herself imprisoned in the Jewish ghetto of Theresienstadt, where she is forced to endure appalling deprivation and the imminent threat of transportation to the east. When she attracts the attention of the Czech gendarme who becomes her guard, Hana reluctantly accepts his advances, hoping for the protection she so desperately needs.Sydney, 2010. Manipulated into a liaison with her married boss, Tessa knows she needs to end it, but how? Tessa's grandmother, Irena, also has something to hide. Harkening back to the Second World War, hers is a carefully kept secret that, if revealed, would send shockwaves well beyond her own fractured family.Inspired by a true story of wartime betrayal, The Deceptions is a searing, compassionate tale of love and duplicity-and family secrets better left buried.'The Deceptions is a stunning example of the way fiction tells war better than any other form - I could taste its madness, its horror. Saw from the outside, its utter absurdity. For days after reading the novel I found myself wrestling with the price of betrayal, and the value of truth.' - Sofie Laguna, winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award'At what cost can a survivor of hell rebuild a seemingly normal life? The Deceptions is a gripping and tragic story for our times.' - Leah Kaminsky, author of The Hollow Bones'Impossible to put down. Leal is a master storyteller. Mesmerising, heartbreaking, honest-The Deceptions is ferociously good.' - Nikki Gemmell, author of After'Those who grew up in the shadow of the Second World War had Elie Wiesel's Night to define for them the enormity for the Holocaust. Those who were born later can now rely upon Suzanne Leal's brilliant and confronting novel The Deceptions to open their eyes to the true horrors of Nazism.' - Alan Gold, author of Bloodline

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