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RAVESTEYN, Jan (John)

Oct 17, 2023 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Adelaide, Australian, Family History, Memoir, South Australia

Jan (John) Ravesteyn self-published author Family Stories of a Migrant Child book cover
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ISBN 978-1-923088-14-6
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Family Stories of a Migrant Child

His life, hopes and adventures written and remembered by Jan Ravesteyn

Introducing a heartfelt memoir that intertwines the lives of Jan Willem and his son Jan (John) Ravesteyn. In this captivating account, Jan delves into the memories of his beloved father, showcasing their unbreakable bond despite their occasional disagreements.

With deep filial love and a human connection that remained unwavering, Jan explores the profound influence his father had on shaping his childhood and ultimately shaping the person he became. As the narrative unfolds, Jan shares his own life, work, and adventures, with the invaluable support and encouragement of his daughter, Maaike.

His mother’s stories relating events from WW1, the Great Depression, WW2, a growing expanding family and the devastating flood of 1953. The biggest fork in their road was migrating to the other side of this wonderful world. The change in language, culture, geography and much more, but Maaike always used to say “you take you self with you”.
So that simplifies life when you remain true to yourself.

This memoir highlights the enduring familial ties that have shaped multiple generations, extending beyond the immediate family into the future. This is a testament to the strength of family, the wisdom passed down through the ages, and the recognition that each member is a cherished gift from above.

HUTCHISON, Anne

Aug 1, 2023 | *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Biography, Family History, History, Military, New South Wales
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ISBN 978-1-922722-10-2
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No Ordinary Life

No Ordinary Life tells the story of a young couple’s experience of World War II and its influence on their lives.

It’s a story of love and its resilience during extraordinarily difficult times, the time before, during and just after World War II. Their participation took them from war-torn Glasgow and the battlefields in France, North Africa and a small Greek Island in the Aegean, to life in a German POW Camp and a timber camp in the Highlands of Scotland.

When the war finally ended, they left Scotland as ‘Ten Pound Poms’ and established a new life in Australia, far away from memories that were best left behind. This book is as much about the times in which they lived as it is about them.

Anne Hutchison self-published author Private CRL Smith book cover
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ISBN 978-1-922890-56-6
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Private CRL Smith

A digger’s story from the Western Front

“Just at dawn, he began to shell us. I thought the end had come, as four chaps that were in the same room as I was got killed. A shell landed in the street, only a few yards off.”

During World War I, the diggers were rarely safe, even when they were miles away from the front line.

This book provides a glimpse into a private’s experience on the frontline. It is  based on the war diary of Private Charles Robert Lumsden Smith but is set within the broader context of World War I: the events that led up to the outbreak of war, the battles in which Private Smith fought, and others that influenced him or the outcome of the war.

It is the story of one man, amongst the hundreds of thousands of young Australians, who fought in a war that changed the face of Europe and spawned the nationalism that set the foundations for the next world war.

About the Author

Anne is a retired science teacher who started her working life as a medical scientist. She followed a passion to become a teacher and taught Science in the western suburbs of Sydney before taking up a position at a large independent school in the city where she taught for thirty years.

Retirement brought time to write, first about her children and the remarkable journey they shared in The Gift of Adoption, and then about her parents’ experience of World War I, No Ordinary Life. Her latest book, Private CRL Smith, tells another family wartime story; this time about a young Aussie on the Western Front during World I. Anne states: “You won’t find his name amongst the heroes written about in the history books, but he was one of the many unsung heroes of a war too willing to sacrifice young lives.”

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ROBERTS, Phil

Jul 25, 2023 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Family History, Fiction \ Novel, Relationships

Little Book of Big Book Marketing Tips book cover
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ISBN 978-1-923443-75-4
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ISBN 978-1-923443-76-1
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ISBN 978-1-923523-26-5
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The Loss We Leave Behind

Burdened by personal tragedy and estranged from his grieving partner Fae, London-based architect Boyd Petersen has lost sight of his purpose and dreams. When an echo from his abandoned, secret past takes him back home to Australia, he is confronted by a series of shocking revelations that challenge his beliefs about the past and hopes for the future.

About the Author

 

Phil Roberts was born in Kenya and has lived and worked in various places throughout Australia. He began writing poetry and short stories in the 2000s and contributed to the former publications Yellow Moon and Dissent. The Loss We Leave Behind is his first novel. It emerged from his studies in creative writing and draws on a lifetime of personal impressions and the ideas that shape our world.

Phil is the author of and contributor to many scientific and interpretive documents. Apart from tending a large garden near Hobart, his current interests lie in investigating the shared mysteries of human experience and how they can be expressed through fiction and poetic forms.

BAAK, Mae

Sep 5, 2022 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Autobiography, Christian, Family History, Language \ Culture \ Linguistics

Kavitha Writer Mae Baak author Where there's smoke Book
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ISBN 978-1-922803-22-1
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Where There’s Smoke

From beneath the ashes of war, loss and prejudice, Mae Baak clambered out cradling an ember that set everything she touched aflame. It’s the kind of fire that thaws your heart, a fire that refines you.

A fire that brings dead men back to life.

Where there's smoke Mae Baak
 

About the Author

Mae Baak is a Christian based in Australia whose ministry continues to impact thousands in Australia, Europe, and Africa.

After first hearing of Christ as a young child in her native Netherlands, Mae immigrated to Australia. This move brought new challenges and a radical conversion, followed by a powerful and ongoing ministry. That ministry ranged from leading people to Christ through personal evangelism, as a church leader, a church planter in Australia and Europe, and as an international speaker.

Her ministry is characterised by compassion, practical Bible teaching, and the prophetic.

Mae was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2007 for her work in Uganda, pioneered a movement that empowered women in religious, political and social fields and devoted her life to help those in need across Europe and Africa.

Kavitha Writer Where there's smoke Mae Baak

About the Writer

Kavitha Anandasivam is a Sri Lankan Australian actress, known for starring in SBS’s 2019 mini-series, The Hunting. in 2019, the Casting Guild of Australia named her among their 10 Rising Stars to watch.

SAUNDERS, Stavroula

May 31, 2022 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Family History, Language \ Culture \ Linguistics, Memoir

A Hyphenated Life book Stavroula Saunders Author
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ISBN 978-1-922722-68-3​
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A Hyphenated Life

Lula Saunders has written a heart-warming memoir, which brings to life a migrant experience of living in two cultures in Australian society. From a Greek café in a country town to urban Sydney we accompany her journey, sometimes confusing, sometimes challenging, often amusing, but always enriching. The writing is superb, I envy her that enrichment.

Dr Betsy Wearing
Associate Professor, Sociology,
University of NSW (retired)

Stavrola Saunders author

About the Author

Lula (Stavroula) Saunders grew up in the White Rose Café in the small NSW town of Cootamundra, followed by ten years in the Capitol Café Adelong, on the foothillls of the Snowy Mountains. Her move to Sydney meant leaving behind her café world and moving into a world of words and books; first in a Christian Bookshop, then several years at the University Co-op Bookshop. This was followed by being appointed as the first Cultural Diversity Co-ordinator at the Australian Museum and later at the National Maritime Museum. Other stories for other times.

MCLEOD, Heidi

May 4, 2022 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Biography, Design, Family History, History, Military
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ISBN 978-1-922803-05-4
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Vale - farewell our author​

HEIDI MCLEOD ~ 2026

 

Wilf

A dramatic, true story from 100 years ago that resonates today, showcasing Hope and Heart in times of Hardship, for readers of every age, time and place.

When young farmer, Wilf Fritsch and his mates leave Australia in 1914, to study in Germany, they have no idea of the catastrophe ahead. Their plans are thwarted when World War 1 erupts. Stranded, arrested and imprisoned, they wonder if they will survive the war and ever make it home again. In a treacherous and unpredictable world, friendships form in surprising places, while culture, hope and purpose survive in desolate environments. Their story reveals astonishing aspects of the times, overlooked by history. However, it is the development of the lads into men of character and integrity, and the beguiling array of people they meet, that will enchant all readers. Bound together in brotherly bonds, their remarkable journey of joy and sorrow, horror and humour, spans 6 years and 5 countries, illuminating the power of perseverance and faith.

About the Author

Heidi McLeod resides in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. A teaching career of over 40 years, three daughters and a foster son, a large extended family, many friends, and her grandchildren have nurtured her fascination in the human journey. In her first book, Heidi traces a portion of her grandfather’s life in the style of a novel. Sourced from diaries, letters, journals, and other primary sources, as well as stories heard first-hand, Heidi provides a compelling, heart-warming narrative. Skilfully crafted with original material, song lyrics of the times and an engaging style, Heidi’s recounting of her grandfather’s experiences is a tribute to all civilians who endured the non-military story of WW1.