At 550 pages my second novel White Ghosts is much longer than Turrwan which I have rewritten and incorporated within the new story line. The book will shortly be available to purchase here and in bookstores. Read on to find out more.
Historical epic White Ghosts is set against the tumultuous background of Brisbane’s founding, a saga of three generations of the Petrie family spanning one hundred years.
Newspaperman Thomas Dowse once dubbed Andrew Petrie the “father of Brisbane” for his role in establishing the town. Besides being the architect/builder of some of Brisbane’s fine old buildings, Andrew was an accomplished explorer. Eldest son John became the city’s first mayor in 1859 while Tom – the town of Petrie was named after him – is well known as a pioneer and for his intimate relationship with the Aboriginal people of south-east Queensland. Tom’s daughter Constance recorded his experiences and knowledge in Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland, a work widely recognised as an authority on Aboriginal customs and culture.
In 1824 felon Sean Kelly arrives at Moreton Bay as part of a contingent of soldiers and convicts to establish a penal colony. Local Aboriginal tribes face a dilemma: resist or succumb? Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Andrew Petrie witnesses the massive fire that destroys a large section of the city.
From the wilds of Moreton Bay to the streets of Edinburgh and Sydney, from the southern goldfields back to the notorious penal colony at Brisbane this gripping tale explores the notions of payback, resilience, survival, love against all odds, the clash of cultures and reconciliation. The novel also examines relationships between blacks and whites on the violent Queensland frontier.
While White Ghosts is fiction, deep down it is a meticulously researched, moving history of early Queensland.
Check out Tony Cole’s REVIEW.
You can download a short extract (PDF) from the novel here: CHAPTER 1
For a list of all the characters who appear in White Ghosts: CAST OF CHARACTERS
Then there’s the BIBLIOGRAPHY
White Ghosts is published by FeedARead.com in the UK and is available on their site.
Or buy direct from the author here (price includes postage in Australia):
Tom Pe
trie arrives with his family at the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Colony (Brisbane, Australia) in 1837, aged six. From the first day, he encounters a vicious convict, who, over the years, becomes his mortal enemy bent on revenge. As Tom grows up in the harsh environment of the fledgling penal colony, he makes friends with the local Aboriginal people, the Turrbal, who teach him their language and their customs. He is initiated by the Turrbal as a “turrwan” (great man) and discovers forbidden love with the daughter of a tribal leader who opposes the whites. Tom is torn by the conflict between whites and blacks on the violent frontier and has enemies in both camps. When his world is shattered by tragedy, he sinks into the abyss in the New South Wales gold fields. Tom returns to Brisbane to rebuild his life, but his old tormentor has other plans. This is a tale of coming of age, adventure, love and payback based on the real-life figure of Tom Petrie and set against the historical background of colonial Australia.
You can download a short extract (PDF) from the novel here: extract
Check out the Gallery for images relating to some of the people and places in Turrwan.
My novel Turrwan is published by FeedARead.com in the UK and is available on their site.
A Kindle ebook and paperback are available from Amazon: TURRWAN
Or buy direct from the author here:
Header Image: “The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement” 1835 by Henry Bowerman. The only remaining structures from that time are the windmill on the hill on the left on what is now Wickham Terrace, and the Commissariat Store, the large building abutting the hill on the right and visible from the Riverside Expressway.
