Booklover Mailbox – Greg Pyers, Jane Rawson, Ouyang Yu and John Zubrzycki
We seem to have an inadvertent ‘fiction based on facts’ theme going on this week.
The Unfortunate Victim by Greg Pyers
This historical detective novel from Greg Pyers based on a true story, is one of the 2017 releases by Aussie Authors I’ve been particularly looking forward. Recent release, review copy from Scribe Publications.
UPDATE: Read our 4+ Star Review
From the Wreck by Jane Rawson
Jane Rawson is an author who has been one my ‘must-read’ list for far too long — so pleased I’ll soon be remedying that.
From the Wreck tells the remarkable story of George Hills, who survived the sinking of the steamship Admella off the South Australian coast in 1859. Haunted by his memories and the disappearance of a fellow survivor, George’s fractured life is intertwined with that of a woman from another dimension, seeking refuge on Earth. This is a novel imbued with beauty and feeling, filled both with existential loneliness and a deep awareness that all life is interdependent.
Review copy, March 2017 from Transit Lounge.
UPDATE: Read our 5 Star Review
Billy Sing, A Novel by Ouyang Yu
In his new novel, Billy Sing, Ouyang Yu embodies Sing’s voice in a magically descriptive prose that captures both the Australian landscape and vernacular. In writing about Sing’s triumphant yet conflicted life, and the horrors of war, Yu captures with imaginative power what it might mean to be both an outsider and a hero in one’s own country. The telling is poetic and realist, the author’s understanding of being a Chinese-Australian sensitively informs the narrative.
Review copy, upcoming release (April 2017) from Transit Lounge.
The Mysterious Mr Jacob: Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy by John Zubrzycki
Now for the first time, John Zubrzycki, author of The Last Nizam, conveys the page-turning colour, romance and adventure of Jacob’s astonishing life. Starting on the banks of the Tigris in modern-day Turkey where Jacob was born, Zubrzycki strips away the myths and legends. He follows Jacob’s journey from the slums of Bombay, to the fabulous court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, from the hedonistic heights of Simla, the summer capital of the Raj, to the Calcutta High Court. This is a story of India, of strange twists and unexpected outcomes. Most importantly Zubrzycki enters into and truly captures the spirit of the mysterious Mr Jacob, one of the most enigmatic and charismatic figures of his time.
Review copy, upcoming release (April 2017) from Transit Lounge.
Which of these titles most interest you?
While you are here, check out our giveaway of a paperback copy of Cassandra Austin’s novel All Fall Down courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia closing 28 February – Australian mailing addresses only.
Linking to Mailbox Monday.
