AustLit

'Racing the Boys tells the incredible story of Granny McDonald, the first female to train a Melbourne cup winner, and her rise to the top of the horse-racing world.

'Feisty New Zealander, Hedwick Maher, has always been called ‘Granny’ – even as a child. Short, plump, bossy and old before her years, Granny grew up idolizing her horse trainer father in the stables and always dreamt of becoming a trainer in her own right. And she does, in her later years, becoming one of the first females to get a trainer’s license in New Zealand.

'Flash forward to 1938, 8-year-old thoroughbred Catalogue wins the Melbourne Cup, and Granny realizes that she has just become the first woman in history to train a Melbourne Cup Winner.

'However, the glory is not hers, but her husband who appears in the official records as Catalogue’s trainer. Despite all of Granny’s achievements, The Victorian Racing Club refuses to issue a training license to a woman.

'Racing the Boys is based on the incredible true story of Granny McDonald, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary passion for training thoroughbreds in her own, spirited way, during an era when racing was almost totally male dominated. Guaranteed to appeal to anyone who has ever struggled to own the credit they deserve and take their place at the top.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The start of World War 2 changed women’s lives and their place in Australian society forever. Thousands of women ventured where few had gone before – into the services and workplaces previously considered the sole preserve of men.

'In preparation for her book Between the Dances, Jacqueline Dinan, interviewed over three hundred women around Australia to collect the last first hand stories from World War Two. Revealing poignant and personal conversations, photographs and letters, Between the Dances is a testament to real life during World War 2.

'From Malta to Australia, New Zealand to the UK, the challenges and adventures faced by these women were unprecedented. Their passion, courage, resilience and commitment during wartime were all a precursor to the astonishing changes brought about by this incredible generation.

'For the first time, women were doing their bit as nurses in war zones, members of the services, farmhands, factory workers or volunteers in community service. The last tradition left was the weekly dance, which ceremoniously brought these courageous women and men together for a quickstep, fox trot and brief respite from the rigours of wartime.' (Publication summary)

'Rosie is not alone in her growing apprehension towards Australia's involvement in a war. Like many mothers, she feels helpless as her sons are swayed by the relentless pull of "mateship" and are lured by the sense of "adventure" awaiting them in another continent. While yearning for news from them in Northern France, Rosie grapples with the changing reality that war is placing on women on the home front. Women are increasingly the fabric of the community and Rosie shoulders her share of responsibility with grinding work at the factory. She also discovers women working for a common cause at an industrious Red Cross parcel drive, converging at a controversial peace rally and embroiled in the conscription debate. Each has a story to tell.

'A Woman's War takes us into the life of a mother during the Great War. It provides a unique and intimate perspective of how she and other women of her inner-city, working class community endured an incredibly difficult period of Australia's history and exemplified to future generations how to face hardship. This poignant and insightful story reveals tribulations and tragedies not talked about the generations of women who followed them.' (From the publisher's website.)