Lee Richie

A story of hope, love, sacrifice, this is the sometimes harrowing, yet ultimately uplifting tale of a child's search for happiness, and a woman's test of faith. Set in the unforgiving landscape of the Australian outback during the 1950s, the story follows the life of Katherine, on an isolated property beyond Broken Hill, NSW.

This heart-wrenching tale is the sometimes harrowing, yet ultimately uplifting story of a child's search for happiness and a woman's test of faith.1951 Katherine's journey begins in the unforgiving landscape of the Australian outback. Having been abandoned by her father after her mother is killed in a London air raid, Katherine finds little sympathy when she is consigned to an austere life in the care of Lachlan and Daisy Stuart on an isolated property beyond Broken Hill. There is little tenderness in the ten-year-old's life until Aboriginal station hands offer their friendship, but love comes at a deadly price.Current day Now living an idyllic life in the north of England, for almost sixty years Katherine has hidden her past. But when an old letter is discovered, she is forced to relive her traumatic years under the Australian sun and explain who died and why she had to run. However, there's a twist in the tale that will bring her once again to her knees. Will returning to Australia help her truly find peace?A story of hope, love, sacrifice and resilience.

Imagine you enter the world of dreams, only to realise you may never get back.Alexander Bottom has heard every stupid butt joke and then some. The remarks have only made him stronger. Malik Ashkar is one of Alex's prime tormentors and leaves classmate, Leanne Chambers, simmering over an insensitive racist comment, a comment that will come back to haunt Malik. The unlikely trio finds themselves thrown together in the adventure of a lifetime, when Nim, the daughter of a Dreamweaver, appears to them from the Dreamscape.Nim proves the existence of multiple dimensions, and a portal through the Dreamscape. The three teenagers' crossover to the medieval world of Trinity, where they must find a way to defeat the evil Lord Drabek and return the planet to peace. Separated on arrival, they are faced with racism on a scale unimaginable. Malik finds the shoe is on the other foot, while Leanne discovers her inner strength, and that there is more to Malik than she ever thought possible. Faced with the same fate that befell his mother, Alexander must find a way to rescue them all from disaster. But one final twist threatens to stop them ever returning home.Throughout the story, their quest becomes epic in scope and our three young travellers are frequently tested. Each must develop, mature and work together in order to triumph.Densely plotted, the story has many surprising twists and turns that will keep the reader's interest until the very last page. While this is an action-packed adventure, the characters have true depth and we get to see their backstories unfold, watching them grow and mature along the way. There is also a strong moral message within the anti-racist elements of the story, making this a truly rewarding experience for the reader. Though this novel is primarily a Young Adult work, it has been classified by some adult readers as a General Adult Fiction adventure. As well as a fantasy adventure, there are sci-fi elements to the story and even a touch of budding romance thrown in for good measure. Above all, there are strong female and male characters to draw and maintain reader's interest from any gender.