The Birdman S Wife

Author : Melissa Ashley
Publisher : Affirm Press
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2016-10-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781925475289

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The Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley Pdf

A woman overshadowed by history steps back into the light . . . Artist Elizabeth Gould spent her life capturing the sublime beauty of birds the world had never seen before. But her legacy was eclipsed by the fame of her husband, John Gould. The Birdman?s Wife at last gives voice to a passionate and adventurous spirit who was so much more than the woman behind the man. Elizabeth was a woman ahead of her time, juggling the demands of her artistic life with her roles as wife, lover, helpmate, and mother to an ever-growing brood of children. In a golden age of discovery, her artistry breathed wondrous life into hundreds of exotic new species, including Charles Darwin?s famous Galapagos finches. In The Birdman?s Wife, the naïve young girl who falls in love with a demanding and ambitious genius comes into her own as a woman, an artist and a bold adventurer who defies convention by embarking on a trailblazing expedition to collect and illustrate Australia?s `curious? birdlife. In this indelible portrait, an extraordinary woman overshadowed by history steps back into the light where she belongs.

Author : Melissa Ashley
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2020-11-24
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1922400327

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The Bee and the Orange Tree by Melissa Ashley Pdf

It's 1699, and the salons of Paris are bursting with the creative energy of fierce, independent-minded women. But outside those doors, the patriarchal forces of Louis XIV and the Catholic Church are moving to curb their freedoms. In this battle for equality, Baroness Marie Catherine D'Aulnoy invents a powerful weapon: 'fairy tales'.When Marie Catherine's daughter, Angelina, arrives in Paris for the first time, she is swept up in the glamour and sensuality of the city, where a woman may live outside the confines of the church or marriage. But this is a fragile freedom, as she discovers when Marie Catherine's close friend Nicola Tiquet is arrested, accused of conspiring to murder her abusive husband. In the race to rescue Nicola, illusions will be shattered and dark secrets revealed as all three women learn how far they will go to preserve their liberty in a society determined to control them.This second book from Melissa Ashley, author of The Birdman's Wife, restores another remarkable, little-known woman to her rightful place in history, revealing the dissent hidden beneath the whimsical surfaces of Marie Catherine's fairy tales. The Bee and the Orange Tree is a beautifully lyrical and deeply absorbing portrait of a time, a place, and the subversive power of the imagination.

Author : Elizabeth J. Church
Publisher : Fourth Estate
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2016-10-20
Category : Interpersonal relations
ISBN : 0008209294

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The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church Pdf

A luminous and enthralling story of birds and science, ambition and sacrifice, revolutions - both big and small - and the late blooming of an unforgettable woman. I first loved him because he taught me the flight of a bird. I was too young to realise that what I really yearned to know was why birds take flight - and why, sometimes, they refuse. Meridian Wallace has lived through the Second World War, the atomic age, the Vietnam War and the dawn of the new millennium - yet she has always been torn between who she is and who circumstances demand her to be. In 1941, spirited, ambitious and determined to prove worthy of the sacrifices her mother made for her, Meridian won a place at the University of Chicago to study ornithology. The last thing she expected was to fall in love with a man two decades older: her brilliant physics professor, Alden Whetstone - or for him to be recruited to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to take part in a mysterious wartime project. When Meridian defers her plans to join him, she agrees to give Alden a year of her life. But this is a world, and a time, in which a wife cannot be a scientist and a woman cannot choose her own destiny. What begins as an electrifying intellectual partnership soon evolves into something quite different. As the decades pass, Meridian strives to resist the clipping of her wings. It is a choice that will make her enemies and bring her heartache, but it also opens up unexpected possibilities: of freedom, and friendship and transformation...

Author : Tea Cooper
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2020-06-16
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780785235163

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The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper Pdf

After her husband’s death in World War I, Fleur’s surprising inheritance takes her deep into the past—and could unravel a mystery surrounding a cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a sinister woman in a green dress. 1919: After a whirlwind romance, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can’t wait for her new husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she heads to his beloved home country of Australia in search of the relatives who deserve it more. In spite of her reluctance, she soon finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future. This romantic mystery from award-winning Australian novelist Tea Cooper will keep readers guessing until the astonishing conclusion. Praise for The Woman in the Green Dress: “Refreshing and unique, The Woman in the Green Dress sweeps you across the wild lands of Australia in a thrilling whirl of mystery, romance, and danger. This magical tale weaves together two storylines with a heart-pounding finish that is drop-dead gorgeous.” —J’nell Ciesielski, author of The Socialite A USA TODAY bestseller Full-length historical fiction with both mystery and romance Stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Author : Lauren Chater
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 339 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2020-03-23
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781925596397

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Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater Pdf

Birth. Death. Wonder … One woman’s journey to the edge of love and loyalty from the bestselling author of The Lace Weaver London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down. In a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care. When a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels . . . and the landscape of her own heart. Praise for Gulliver’s Wife 'An absolutely gripping read, with a powerful and ultimately hopeful story to tell' Booktopia ‘Gulliver’s Wife is utterly spellbinding. Lauren Chater is a master of story-weaving and exquisite detail. I adored this book.’ Melissa Ashley, bestselling author of The Birdman’s Wife ‘Lauren Chater’s Mary Gulliver is an extraordinary character – a performer of everyday miracles, a woman of quiet strength and compassion in a world where nothing can be relied on, least of all her flamboyant fantasist of a husband. Set in a fictional past, this superbly written story of love, loss, motherhood, and letting go is highly relevant to the issues we face today. Do not miss it.’ Meg Keneally, author of Fled ‘Bold, evocative and brave – Gulliver’s Wife is a revelation in story-telling. I am in awe of Lauren Chater’s talent. Gulliver’s Wife had my heart from the opening line and didn’t let go until long after I finished the final page. An exquisitely told tale of love, loss and the magic of life.’ Tess Woods, author of Love and Other Battles ‘An imaginative tour-de-force!’ Bestselling author Kate Forsyth ‘The most impressive aspect of this novel is the finely tuned and nuanced treatment of the relationship between a mother and her rebellious teenage daughter.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A heartfelt tale of female solidarity.’ Daily Telegraph

Author : Margaret Bearman
Publisher : Brio Books Pty Ltd
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2020-06-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781922267146

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We Were Never Friends by Margaret Bearman Pdf

Lotti Coates lives in the shadow of a genius: her father George is a brilliant and celebrated Australian painter. When Lotti meets the outcast waif Kyla at a suburban Canberra school, two worlds are set to collide. Slowly Kyla is drawn into the orbit of the Coates family. Or is it the other way around? As Lotti and Kyla navigate their way towards adulthood, dark secrets start to unravel, with devastating consequences … We Were Never Friends is a story of friendship, the pursuit of a creative life and the legacies we leave behind. Praise for We Were Never Friends by Margaret Bearman ‘This intelligent, subtle novel is a complex study of family dynamics, class divides, adolescent pecking orders, and the murky moral landscapes of artistic practice and inspiration.’ —Kerryn Goldsworthy, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘Margaret Bearman’s intimate, unsettling novel of family dysfunction perfectly captures the ambivalent passions of girlhood while offering an incisive critique of the cult of artistic genius. Sharp and subtle at the same time, refusing any easy certainties, We Were Never Friends is a haunting portrait of the human capacity for cruelty and love in equal measure.’ —Kirsten Tranter, bestselling author of The Legacy ‘A compelling and authentic journey into the heart of an Australian family. What is art? What’s true courage? I could not put it down.’ —Melissa Ashley, bestselling author of The Birdman’s Wife

Author : Michelle Wright
Publisher : HarperCollins
Page : 371 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2022-07-19
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780063223899

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Small Acts of Defiance by Michelle Wright Pdf

"In Small Acts of Defiance, Michelle Wright paints a beautifully intimate portrait that celebrates the courage and resilience of the human spirit."— Jane Harper, author of The Survivors A stunning debut WWII novel from award-winning short story writer Michelle Wright, about the small but courageous acts a young woman performs against the growing anti-Jewish measures in Nazi-occupied Paris. “Doing nothing is still a choice. A choice to stand aside and let it happen.” January 1940: After a devastating tragedy, young Australian woman Lucie and her mother Yvonne are forced to leave home and flee to France. There they seek help from the only family they have left, Lucie’s uncle, Gérard. As the Second World War engulfs Europe, the two women find themselves trapped in German-occupied Paris, sharing a cramped apartment with the authoritarian Gérard and his extremist views. Drawing upon her artistic talents, Lucie risks her own safety to engage in small acts of defiance against the occupying Nazi forces and the collaborationist French regime – illustrating pro-resistance tracts and forging identity cards. Faced with the escalating brutality of anti-Jewish measures, and the indifference of so many of her fellow Parisians, Lucie must decide how far she will go to protect her friends and defend the rights of others before it’s too late.

Author : Tea Cooper
Publisher : HarperCollins
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2020-01-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781489270702

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The Girl In The Painting by Tea Cooper Pdf

For readers of The True Story of Maddie Bright, The Woman in the Green Dress and The Birdman's Wife comes this atmospheric and richly detailed Australian historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author. Maitland 1913 Miss Elizabeth Quinn is something of an institution in Maitland Town. For longer than anyone could remember she and her brother, businessman Michael, have lived in the impressive two-storey stone house next to the church. When she is discovered cowering in the corner of the exhibition gallery at the Technical College the entire town knows something strange has come to pass. Was it the prehistoric remains or perhaps the taxidermy exhibition that had reduced the whale-boned encased pillar of society to a quivering mess? Or is there something odd about a striking painting on loan from the National Gallery? Mathematical savant Jane Piper is determined to find out. Deposited on the doorstep of the local orphanage as a baby, she owes her life and education to the Quinns' philanthropic ventures and Elizabeth has no one else to turn to. As the past and the present converge, Elizabeth's grip on reality loosens. Can Jane, with her logical brain and penchant for puzzles, unravel Elizabeth's story before it is too late? Ranging from the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, the bucolic English countryside to the charm of Maitland Town, this compelling historical mystery in the company of an eccentric and original heroine is rich with atmosphere and detail. PRAISE FOR TEA COOPER 'Boasts strong female protagonists, an infectious fascination with the past, and the narrative skill to weave multiple timelines into a satisfying whole...smartly edited, cleanly written...easy to devour.' - Sydney Morning Herald on The Woman in the Green Dress 'Cooper is a welcome inclusion to the rising ranks of female-centred historical Australian novels.' - The Herald Sun on The Naturalist's Daughter

Author : Lauren Chater
Publisher : Allison & Busby Ltd
Page : 355 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2022-10-20
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780749029050

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The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater Pdf

TWO WOMEN SEPARATED BY CENTURIES, THEIR LIVES DRAWN TOGETHER BY A BEAUTIFUL SILK DRESSTextiles historian Jo Baaker returns to the Dutch island where she was born, to investigate the provenance of a valuable seventeenth-century silk dress retrieved from a sunken shipwreck. Her research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress who served on the fringes of the Dutch court.But how did Anna come to possess such a precious dress? Jo is convinced the truth lies hidden between its folds, but as she gets closer to Anna's history, haunting details of her own past emerge.

Author : Janet Lee
Publisher : Univ. of Queensland Press
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2018-08-29
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780702261619

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Killing of Louisa by Janet Lee Pdf

Finally, convicted murderess Louisa Collins can tell her own story. But will she confess?To lose one husband may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder.Louisa Collins was hung in New South Wales in 1889. She was tried four times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. In three of those trials the juries could not agree that she was guilty. At her fourth trial the testimony of Louisa’s young daughter, May, contributed to Louisa’s conviction. Intimately reimagined from Louisa’s perspective, with a story that just might fit the historical facts, this clever and compelling novel visits Louisa in her prison cell as she reflects on her life and the death and loss that have dictated her fate. Will she confess? Or was an innocent woman brutally hanged?

Author : John Gould
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 1204 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1848
Category : Birds
ISBN : OCLC:220843220

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The Birds of Australia by John Gould Pdf

Author : Kerrie Davies
Publisher : Univ. of Queensland Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-29
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780702259203

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Wife's Heart by Kerrie Davies Pdf

An innovative, imaginative work of biography, examining Bertha and Henry Lawson's marriage through a modern lens Henry Lawson was Australia's bush bard, a revered cultural icon, yet he descended into alcoholism, poverty and an early death. Many blamed his young wife, Bertha, for his personal and creative decline. And yet in April 1903, Bertha Lawson alleged in an affidavit that her husband was habitually drunk and cruel, leading her eventually to demand a judicial separation. In A Wife's Heart, Kerrie Davies provides a rare account of this tumultuous relationship from Bertha's perspective. Reproducing their letters – some of which have never been published – Davies takes us from the Lawsons' courtship, marriage and separation to Bertha's struggles as a single parent. While evoking a time when women's rights were advancing considerably, Davies also weaves in her own personal history to show how the emotions and challenges of marriage and single parenthood have remained the same. A Wife's Heart offers an intimate portrait of the Lawsons' marriage, examined through a modern lens. It is an innovative, imaginative work of biography that reflects on the politics of relationships and the enduring complexities of love.

Author : Karen Russell
Publisher : Random House
Page : 341 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2012-03-13
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781446468487

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Swamplandia! by Karen Russell Pdf

In the Florida Everglades, gator-park Swamplandia! is in trouble. Its star performer, the great beauty and champion alligator-wrestler Hilola Bigtree, has succumbed to cancer, and Ava, her resourceful but terrified 13-year-old daughter, is left in charge with her two siblings. But Ava's sister has embarked on a romantic relationship with a ghost, her brother has defected to a rival theme park, and her father is AWOL. And then a mysterious figure called Bird Man guides Ava into a perilous part of the swamp called the Underworld, promising he can save both her sister and the park... Swamplandia! was longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize and shortlisted for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize and 2013 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Author : Annabel Abbs
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2018-09-11
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780733640124

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Frieda by Annabel Abbs Pdf

The moving story of Frieda von Richthofen, wife of D.H. Lawrence - and the real-life inspiration for Lady Chatterley's Lover, a novel banned for more than 30 years Germany, 1907. Frieda, daughter of aristocrat Baron von Richthofen, has rashly married English professor Ernest Weekley. Visiting her family in Munich, a city alive with new ideas of revolution and free love, and goaded by a toxic sibling rivalry with her sisters, Frieda embarks on a passionate affair that is her sensual and intellectual awakening. England, 1912. Trapped in her marriage to Ernest, Frieda meets the penniless but ambitious young writer D.H. Lawrence, a man whose creative energy answers her own needs. Their scandalous affair and tempestuous relationship unleashes a creative outpouring that will change the course of literature - and society - forever. But for Frieda, this fulfilment comes at a terrible personal cost. A stunning novel of emotional intensity, Frieda tells the story of an extraordinary woman - and a notorious love affair that became synonymous with ideas of sexual freedom. 'Annabel Abbs's poignant Frieda: A Novel of the Real Lady Chatterley captures the Lawrences' shifting emotions' The Australian 'I loved this novel so very much. Abbs's writing is glorious' MELISSA ASHLEY, The Birdman's Wife 'Emotionally intense . . . A gripping story' Daily Telegraph ** Contains bonus chapters from Annabel Abbs' stunning debut novel, The Joyce Girl**

Author : Ariella Van Luyn
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2016-07-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781925344776

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Treading Air by Ariella Van Luyn Pdf

In 1920s Queensland, Lizzie O’Dea wants to get away from her dad and the memories of her mum that haunt her. At the races she meets attractive, war-scarred Joe and sees her chance to escape. But life with Joe isn’t what she dreamt it would be. Finding herself on the fringes of society, Lizzie discovers a new sense of independence and sexuality, love and friendship. It’s a precarious life, though, always on the edge of collapse. Two decades later, Lizzie is sick and worn out. Lying in a Brisbane lock hospital, she thinks about Joe, who’s been lost to her for many years. But she’s a survivor. There’s hope yet. Set between Brisbane and Townsville, and based on real events that the author uncovered from historical archives, Treading Air is the remarkably vivid tale of a young Australian working-class rebel who clashed with the expectations of her world.