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Viking Viking i(A52302 works by) (Organisation) assertion (a.k.a. Viking Press; Viking Penguin)
Born: Established: 1 Mar 1925 New York (City), New York (State),
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United States of America (USA),
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Americas,
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1 Viking Novels Viking (publisher), series - publisher
Kestrel Kites Viking (publisher), series - publisher
Read Alone Viking (publisher), series - publisher
1 y separately published work icon Endurance : The Toby Price Story Toby Price , Andrew Van Leeuwen , Melbourne : Viking , 2022 23428235 2022 single work autobiography

'Two-time Dakar Rally champion, seven-time Finke Desert Race winner, FIM World Rally Champion and one of Australia's most popular motorsports athletes shares his inspiring story of every bump in the road on his way from a small farm in the Australian bush to the top of the podium in the world's most gruelling endurance race.

'The Australian bush has conjured up some crazy legends, but the rise and rise of two-time Dakar champion Toby Price is surely one of its best. Who knew that the remote town of Roto (pop. 41) would be the launching pad of one of the greatest motorsports athletes the world has seen, fit to tackle and triumph over the planet's most gruelling endurance race?

'Toby Price has lived a truly remarkable life, filled with ups, downs and every bump in the road imaginable- a childhood racing prodigy from the tender age of 2 - there was hardly a paddock that could contain him. After tearing through the junior ranks, taking out titles in both dirt track and motocross, Toby was living the dream, turning pro at 16 and joining the formidable KTM Racing team. Soon he was turning heads internationally and tapped to take on the most forbidding enduro courses the sport could throw at him.' (Publication summary)

'But the clock and the elements weren't his only adversaries. The death of his adored sister, Min; the tragic loss of mentors and rivals in the desert; countless broken bones and an accident that should have paralysed him for life - Toby's story is a study in staying true to yourself and following your passion to its ultimate end- rain, hail or shine. The person who emerged from the crucible of so many trials is now one of the most beloved figures in Australian sport, a kid from the country whose need for speed took him to the top of the podium - and he's not about to slow down now.'

1 y separately published work icon Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter Lizzie Pook , Melbourne : Viking , 2022 23428019 2022 single work novel historical fiction

'Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter is an exquisite historical novel set in a mesmerising yet unforgiving land, where both profit and peril lie deep beneath the ocean's surface...

'Western Australia, 1886

'As the pearling ships return to Bannin Bay after a long diving season, twenty-year-old Eliza Brightwell nervously awaits the arrival of her father's boat.

'But when his lugger finally limps in, it brings with it a tale of tragedy- Charles Brightwell, master pearler, has gone missing at sea.

'Immediately, whispers from the townsfolk point to mutiny or murder, but headstrong Eliza knows her father; she is sure he is still alive. As the Bay swelters under the heat of the approaching wet season, it falls to Eliza to seek out the truth behind her eccentric father's disappearance.

'But as she delves beneath the glamorous veneer of south sea pearling, she discovers that the sun-baked streets she thought she knew so well are teeming with corruption, prejudice and blackmail.

'How far is she willing to go to solve the mystery and save the ones she loves? And what family secrets will come to haunt her along the way? Because the truth may cost more than pearls - and she must decide if she's willing to pay the price . . .

'A gloriously rich and wonderfully assured debut, Lizzie Pook's Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter tells the story of a daughter, a family, a place and a hidden history; rendered with astonishing clarity, it is a novel that marks Lizzie Pook as a name to watch.'(Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon You're Doing it Wrong Kaz Cooke , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 23434059 2021 single work non-fiction prose

'You’re Doing it Wrong is an outrageous tour through the centuries of bonkers and bad advice handed down and foisted upon women, told as only Kaz Cooke can – with humour and rage, intelligence and wit.

'Come with Kaz on a laugh-out-loud frolic through centuries of terrible advice, from 14th-century clergy to the Kardashians (wear a dress made of arsenic, do some day-drinking, have sex with a billionaire biker, worry about your vagina wrinkles). It’s also a roar against injustice, a rallying cry for sisterhood and a way to free ourselves from ludicrous expectations and imposed perfectionism.

'Kaz’s own 30-year history of interest and experience in advice – from her newspaper etiquette column to best-selling books, including Up the Duff and the Girl Stuff series – and years of archives and research have culminated in a full-colour, exuberant shout of a book with hundreds of wacky and sobering historical photos of objects and instructions.

'You’re Doing It Wrong examines what we’re told to do (change shape, shoosh, do all the housework), and what we’re not supposed to do (frown, have pockets, lead a country). It covers sex & romance, paid work, fashion & beauty, health advice, housework, and a motherlode of mad parenting instructions – from witchcraft to beauty pageants, with a side of aviatrixes. Put the kettle on and settle in.'

Source : publisher's blurb

1 y separately published work icon Majak Majak Daw , Heath O'Loughlin , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 21543404 2021 single work autobiography

'The autobiography of a true trailblazer, Sudanese refugee and AFL champion, Majak Daw.

'At the peak of his powers, and with the world at his feet after a breakout season in the Australian Football League (AFL), the North Melbourne Kangaroos' Majak Daw was on the verge of finally becoming one of the AFL's bona fide superstars - but it all came crashing down.

'After secretly battling years of mental health issues, the Sudanese-born phenomenon leapt off the Bolte Bridge in Melbourne in a shock attempt to end his life.

'Daw's story is like no other and the reason for his shocking fall in December, 2018, has been left untold, until now.

'When he burst onto scene in 2009 as an 18-year-old rookie with little experience, Daw captured the attention and imagination of hundreds of thousands of people and became an inspiration to countless others in his community as the game's first African-born player.

'Daw's journey through life and into the elite levels of Australia's most popular sport was anything but smooth and along the way, he faced and overcame many unique challenges including one that almost cost his life.

'After fleeing war-torn Sudan with his family at the age of eight in search for a better life, Daw along with his mother and six siblings spent a number of years in Egypt fighting for a new beginning and a sense of belonging.

'Forced to find full-time work at just nine years of age in a furniture factory to help his mother put food on the table and make ends meet, Daw was subjected to bullying and racism in an unfamiliar country full of people split by strong religious beliefs and prejudice.

'Eventually Daw and his family were granted entry to Australia and there, they sought refuge made a new home in Melbourne's south-west but again, they still battled to fit in.

'In his early teenage years, Daw finally found something in common with other students, when he discovered the game of Australian rules football through an invitation to play kick-to-kick during lunch at high school. After experiencing the sport for the first time, he was quickly dubbed a 'natural' and convinced his parents to allow him to play. As Daw's skills grew, so too did his network of friends and prospects of playing the sport at a professional level.

'Explosive, athletic and able to do things on the football field other players could only dream of, Daw's talents were undeniable and soon garnered the attention of AFL recruiters around the country. His remarkable rise, despite having picked up the game at such a late age, turned heads and started to make headlines as club's began to jostle to acquire Daw's signature. It was North Melbourne that eventually won out, offering Daw a rookie contract and in doing so, making his dream of playing in the AFL a reality.

'Daw's breakthrough made news overseas, such was his accomplishment and from the moment he slipped on the club's famous royal blue and white striped jumper, he was a media sensation with journalists and photographers following his every move. Daw was arguably placed under more scrutiny than any other player in his position had ever been before and was somewhat weighed down by unfair expectations and responsibilities. Not only did he have to fight to keep his dream of playing in the league alive, but he was also expected to be a role model for migrant youth and speak for his community, as the city around him was being gripped by a wave of 'African gang' violence and crime.

'Through it all, Daw was a beacon of hope and was a constant example of perseverance and determination. He stood tall in the face of vicious racial vilification, shattering runs with injury and the disappointment of not making the Kangaroos' senior team.

'Three years after joining the Roos however, his time finally arrived and Daw made history when he was handed his first game in Round 4, 2013 against the Brisbane Lions. It was a dream start for the forward/ruckman who managed to take a mark in the opening minutes and kick the first goal of his career - not that he'd remember it. A short time later, he was knocked unconscious in an awkward tackle and was taken into the rooms with his night ending prematurely. Daw would bounce back, like always, and three games later he set the Docklands Stadium alight with a brilliant six-goal performance against the Western Bulldogs.

'Daw's position in the North Melbourne senior side was never secure, although he always showed plenty of promise, and he continued to experience much turbulence including being charged and found not guilty for three counts of rape.

'In 2018, Daw's stars finally aligned when he found a regular spot in the North side as a defender - a role he had not filled before. Playing on the AFL's biggest and best goal-kickers, Daw became an effective stopper and was ranked in the 'elite' category for his performances. While on the outside things were looking up and North was in the throws of offering him the biggest contract of his career, Daw's private life was in tatters. Mental health issues, a volatile relationship with his then pregnant girlfriend, the fear of becoming a father and alcoholism, were tearing Daw apart from the inside. At his wit's end and feeling like there was nowhere else to turn, Daw made the decision to end it all. But his story didn't end there. Miraculously, he survived the 25-metre plunge into the icy Yarra river below but suffered horrific hip and pelvis injuries. Daw had been given a second chance at life and was determined to make the most of it.

'Following an operation that would give him the chance of playing the game he loved once again, Daw embarked on a painstaking rehabilitation program and defied the odds to not only walk again, but run, jump and eventually compete at the highest level with a comeback game that many thought would never be possible.

'A true trailblazer, Majak Daw's life has been an inspiration, particularly to those who have struggled to belong, felt oppressed or dared to dream big and had to fight for everything they have.'(Publication summary)

1 2 y separately published work icon Emotional Female Yumiko Kadota , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 21480978 2021 single work autobiography

'A passionate account of the toxic culture of bullying and overwork that junior doctors can experience in the workplace as part of their training.

'Yumiko Kadota was every Asian parent's dream: model student, top of her class in medical school and on track to becoming a surgeon. A self-confessed workaholic, she regularly put ‘knife before life’, knowing it was all going to be worth it because it would lead to her longed-for career.

'But if the punishing hours in surgery weren’t hard enough, she also faced challenges as a young female surgeon navigating a male-dominated specialty. She was regularly left to carry out complex procedures without senior surgeons’ oversight; she was called all sorts of things, from ‘emotional’ to ‘too confident’; and she was expected to work a relentless on-call roster – sometimes seventy hours a week or more – to prove herself.

'Eventually it was too much and Yumiko quit.

'Emotional Female is her account of what it was like to train in the Australian public hospital system, and what made her walk away.

'Yumiko Kadota is a voice for her generation when it comes to burnout and finding the resilience to rebuild after suffering a physical, emotional and existential breakdown. This is a brave, honest and unflinching work from a major new talent.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Lovebirds Amanda Hampson , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 20981043 2021 single work novel

'In their youth, lovebirds Elizabeth and Ray had to fight to be together. Their future was full of promise and, blessed with children and careers, their happiness complete. But a twist of fate changed their lives forever.

'Now in her sixties, Elizabeth is desperately lonely. She rarely sees her two adult sons and her closest friend is a talkative budgie. But when her grandson, Zach, gets into trouble with the police, she decides to take him on a road trip to find his grandfather, her lost love Ray, in the hope of mending their broken family.

'Two less compatible travelling companions would be hard to find, as they set off on an unlikely adventure into the wilds of the northern NSW hinterland. What they discover along the way, about Ray and each other, has the power to transform them all. In trying to save Zach, Elizabeth might just save herself.

'Warm, witty and wise, Lovebirds is an astute and uplifting novel about the power of love and family.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Tipping Anna George , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 20854253 2021 single work novel

'Liv Winsome is in crisis. Mother to three school-age sons, wife to a busy lawyer, a part-time/full-time investigator, Liv is overwhelmed and sinking. One weekend, her crisis crystallises when her fourteen year old son Jai is embroiled in a school internet sexting scandal and her husband Duncan accidentally locks her in the family car.

'Liv is quickly in damage control as her boys' co-ed school Carmichael Grammar is upset and the girls' mothers are irate. These mums are led by Jess Charters, mother of Alex, Jai's girlfriend; Jess posts her outrage on a community Facebook page and is both supported and trolled for her efforts. Adding insult to injury, Jess doesn't understand why her super-girl daughter has shared such a slutty selfie.
When Liv and Duncan meet with Carmichael's principal, Liv realises the school's gender politics is stuck in the dark ages. It seems she alone can see the link between the Instagram crisis and the school's culture, her son's blase attitude to the uproar and her overload. Liv demands that the school does better, while she focuses on rejigging her home life, and conceives Mums for Equality, an action group for change at Carmichael.

'Jess Charters becomes a surprising ally and together the mums ask more of the school, which itself has realised the need to quell its community's discontent and related bad press. The school appoints an expert, Dr Cato, to re-educate the students on gender and respectful relationships both online and off.

'Liv's husband Duncan is on board with her agenda - just. With a busy legal practice and little else engaging him, Duncan is grappling with his own mid-life disillusionment. Inspired by his wife, Duncan makes changes at work, which ripple through to the family.

'Dr Cato makes a raft of tweaks, and change comes amazingly quickly to Carmichael. But not everyone is happy...' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon The Emporium of Imagination Tabitha Bird , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 20597328 2021 single work novel fantasy

'Welcome to The Emporium of Imagination, a most unusual shop that travels the world offering vintage gifts to repair broken dreams and extraordinary phones to contact lost loved ones.

'But, on arrival in the tiny township of Boonah, the store’s long-time custodian, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray, makes a shocking realisation. He is dying . . .

'The clock is now ticking to find his replacement, because the people of Boonah are clearly in need of some restorative magic.

'Like Enoch Rayne – a heartbroken ten-year-old boy mourning the loss of his father, while nurturing a guilty secret. Like Ann Harlow, who has come to the town to be close to her dying grandmother. Though it’s Enoch’s father who dominates her thoughts - and regrets ...

'Even Earlatidge in his final days will experience the store as never before - and have the chance to face up to his own tragedy ...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 1 y separately published work icon The Silent Listener Lyn Yeowart , Melbourne : Viking , 2021 20511798 2021 single work novel thriller

'Propelling the reader back and forth between the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s, The Silent Listener is an unforgettable literary suspense novel set in the dark, gothic heart of rural Australia. 

'In the cold, wet summer of 1960, 11-year-old Joy Henderson lives in constant fear of her father. She tries to make him happy but, as he keeps reminding her, she is nothing but a filthy sinner destined for Hell . . .

'Yet, decades later, she returns to the family’s farm to nurse him on his death bed. To her surprise, her ‘perfect’ sister Ruth is also there, whispering dark words, urging revenge.

'Then the day after their father finally confesses to a despicable crime, Joy finds him dead - with a belt pulled tight around his neck ... 

'For Senior Constable Alex Shepherd, investigating George’s murder revives memories of an unsolved case still haunting him since that strange summer of 1960: the disappearance of nine-year-old Wendy Boscombe.

'As seemingly impossible facts surface about the Hendersons – from the past and the present – Shepherd suspects that Joy is pulling him into an intricate web of lies and that Wendy’s disappearance is the key to the bizarre truth.' (Publication summary)

1 4 y separately published work icon Vida : A Woman for Our Time Jacqueline Kent , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 20168435 2020 single work biography

'Vida Goldstein was an advocate for women's rights, a campaigner for peace, fought for the distribution of wealth, and a trail-blazer who provided leadership and inspiration to innumerable people.

'Blazing her trail at the dawn of the twentieth century, Vida Goldstein remains Australia’s most celebrated crusader for the rights of women. Her life – as a campaigner for the suffrage in Australia, Britain and America, an advocate for peace, a fighter for social equality and a shrewd political commentator – marks her as one of Australia’s foremost women of courage and principle.

'Vida first came to national prominence as the first woman in the Western world to stand for a national Parliament, in Victoria, for the Senate, in 1903. As a fighter for equal rights for women, and as a champion of social justice, she quickly established a pattern of working quietly against men’s control of Australian society. Her work for the peace movement and against conscription during the heightened emotions of the First World War showed her determination to defy governments in the name of fairness and equity.

'Vida came to adulthood when Australia was in the process of inventing itself as a new nation, one in which women might have opportunities equal to those of men. Her work for her own sex, especially her battles for equality in politics, illuminated issues that persist to this day.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

2 1 y separately published work icon Lioness Lioness : The Extraordinary Untold Story of Sue Brierley, Mother of Saroo, the Boy Known as Lion Sue Brierley , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19694131 2020 single work autobiography

''My most desperate wish while Saroo was growing up was to send through the heavens a message—"Your boy is fine, I'm looking after him. He's beautiful." That was my big wish.'

'Saroo Brierley's journey home to a small village in India by scrolling through countless satellite images on Google Earth became an internationally bestselling book and inspired the major motion picture LION. But the untold story of how his adoptive mother, Sue, came into his life half a world away in Tasmania is every bit as riveting and unlikely. For Sue herself had a traumatic childhood. She was the daughter of European refugees, and her father was a violent alcoholic whose business gambles left her family destitute.

'When Sue married she was determined to break the cycle of despair. She chose not to have biological children and to adopt a child in need. Sue and her husband, John, filled their home with love and compassion, and opened their hearts to two very special little boys, Saroo and Mantosh.

'Twenty-five years later, the discovery that Saroo's mother was actually still alive in a remote town in India turned his world upside down — as it did for Sue. The story of how Sue met Kamla and united over their shared love for Saroo is both moving and inspiring.

'In this uplifting and deeply personal book Sue explores what it means to be a mother, how families are formed in many ways, and how love and perseverance can, ultimately, bring us all together.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Electric Blue Paul F. Verhoeven , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19672041 2020 single work autobiography 'Paul Verhoeven’s ex-cop dad, John, spent years embroiled in some of the seediest, scariest intrigue and escapades imaginable. One day John offered Paul the chance of a lifetime: he’d spill his guts on tape. What unfolded in Loose Units was a goldmine of true-crime stories, showcasing John’s dramatic experience of policing in Sydney in the 1980s and brilliantly twisted sense of humour. But what happened next in John’s career was twice as weird.

'Electric Blue spans the final years of John’s stint in the New South Wales Police Force, when he took up an offer to move into the grimy, analytical world of forensics. Paul unpicks his father’s most terrible cases. There was the case of a rapist hiding in the walls of a shower block, a body that was quite literally cooked, and the bizarre copycat suicides.

'But what’s it actually like to have a heroic ex-cop as a dad? Paul and John delve into their unique father–son relationship and how they ended up so different to each other. They figure out how to deal with the choices they’ve made . . . or wish they’d made. And Paul’s mum, Christine, reveals what it was like to be a pioneering female cop in the eighties, when misogyny was rife in the force.

'Thrilling, fascinating and unexpectedly laugh-out-loud funny, Electric Blue is another high-octane adventure in policing, integrity and learning what family is really all about.' (Publication summary)

 
1 y separately published work icon Far from Home : A True Story of Murder, Loss and a Mother's Courage Rosie Ayliffe , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19548290 2020 single work autobiography 'British mother Rosie Ayliffe thought her 21-year-old daughter, Mia, would be safe travelling around Australia on a gap year. But Mia wanted to extend her visa and in order to do that needed to find 88 days of work on a farm - a requirement that would lead to catastrophic events. Four short days after Mia moved to a hostel in Queensland to take a job on a sugarcane farm, she was brutally murdered.

'Faced with every parent's worst nightmare, Rosie travelled to Australia to retrieve Mia's body. From the moment she landed, however, she started to hear stories about the terrible treatment of young workers like Mia - stories of exploitation, sexual harassment, rape.

'Mia was Rosie's only child and she brought her up as a single parent. Her death was traumatic and life-changing. In Rosie's memoir, she describes movingly how she has found the strength to come to terms with devastating loss, drawing on inspiration from her daughter's short life. She also explains how she has become the driving force behind an international campaign to press for change to the 88 days system.

'Part expose of the dangers facing backpackers in Australia, part call to arms, ultimately Far from Home is an inspiring and heartfelt story of a mother's love for her daughter and her fight to protect others from suffering a similar tragedy.' (Publication summary)
1 2 y separately published work icon Mary's Last Dance Mary Li , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19548074 2020 single work autobiography

'I can vividly remember the last steps of the last ballet, walking off the stage led by a mother and knowing the decision I had to make. That was my last dance.'

'Mary Li (nee McKendry) is an international ballet star and a mother like no other. She became a household name when her husband Li Cunxin published his bestselling memoir, Mao's Last Dancer - but that book told only half the story.

'Growing up in a rambunctious family in Rockhampton, Mary discovered an extraordinary early passion for ballet. It saw her move to London at age sixteen, to study at the Royal Ballet School and dance at the London Festival Ballet with the likes of Nureyev, and later to Houston Ballet, where as Principal Dancer she fell in love with the acclaimed Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin. The couple became the darlings of the dance world, and were happier than they could have imagined at the arrival of their firstborn daughter, Sophie.

'Then right at the height of her international career, Mary seemingly disappeared from view, leaving the fans aghast. What could have happened to cause a woman so committed, so talented, to give it all away in a heartbeat? Now, almost twenty years on, fans finally get their answer about what happened next to this inspiring family, and learn why it is Mary's turn to tell a truly remarkable tale.

'Mary's Last Dance is a powerful and uplifting memoir about chasing an impossible dream, and sacrificing one's own ambition for the love of a child. It is a moving and unforgettable story of passion, dedication and devotion - and the highly anticipated sequel to one of the world's most beloved books.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Stalin's Wine Cellar John Baker , Nick Place , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19144784 2020 multi chapter work prose

'The adventure of a lifetime to buy Stalin’s secret multimillion dollar wine cellar located in Georgia; it is the Raiders of the Lost Ark of wine.

'In the late 1990s, John Baker was known as a purveyor of quality rare and old wines. Always entrepreneurial and up for adventure, John was the perfect person for an occasional business partner, Andrew Simon, to approach with a mysterious wine list that was foreign to anything John, or his second-in-command, Kevin Hopko, had ever come across. 

'The list was discovered to be a comprehensive catalogue of the wine collection of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The wine had become the property of the state after the Russian Revolution of 1918, during which Nicholas and his entire family were executed. Now owned by Stalin, the wine was discretely removed to a remote Georgian winery when Stalin was concerned the advancing Nazi army might overrun Russia, and inevitably loot artefacts and treasures. Half a century later, the wine was rumoured to be hidden underground and off any known map.

'John and Kevin embarked on an audacious, colourful and potentially dangerous journey to Georgia to discover if the wines actually existed; if the bottles were authentic and whether the entire collection could be bought and transported to a major London auction house for sale. 

'Stalin's Wine Cellar is a wild, sometimes rough ride in the glamorous world of high-end wine. From Double Bay Sydney to Tbilisi Georgia, via the streets of Paris, the vineyards of Bordeaux and iconic Château d'Yquem. A multimillion dollar cellar and a breathtaking collection of wine (and one very expensive broken bottle) is the elusive treasure. The cast of characters include Stalin, Hitler, Tsar Nicholas II and a motley bunch of Georgian businessmen/cowboys toting handguns, in the early days of Russian business development that led to the world of Putin and oligarchs.'

Source: publisher's website

1 y separately published work icon Roughy Jarryd Roughead , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19144671 2020 single work autobiography

'Roughy is a story of perspective, a must-read of 2020 that’s much more than a footballer’s tale.

'Cancer doesn’t discriminate.
'When things were at their worst for Jarryd Roughead, his four premierships, two All-Australian gongs and a Coleman Medal counted for nothing. Being that rare footballer who was as loved by opposition fans as his own was no help either.
'As he spent his days vomiting or curled up with the cat, and his nights in a pool of sweat, fully clothed yet freezing, rolling out of bed every couple of hours to dunk his feet in cold water to douse the feeling that they were on fire, all that mattered was that he didn’t stop believing.
'Belief is one of those intangibles that puts great athletes above the pack. But this was no game. Roughead knew he had to keep believing he’d get better, otherwise he’d lose. And if he lost this battle, there would be no next week.
'Roughy is the story of a footballer who lived the dream, the country boy who not only became an AFL star, but was a key player in a Hawthorn team that will be remembered as one of the greats of any era. Success didn’t change him, which made him all the more relatable, as if in spirit he was still having a kick with the Leongatha Parrots and a beer with his mates at the local pub.
'When in 2015 a spot on his bottom lip was diagnosed as melanoma, we could relate to him all the more. When it returned as spots on his lungs the next year, the gravity we routinely attach to football’s wins and losses seemed ridiculous.
'In Roughy, you’ll discover the resilience that got him through horrendous immunotherapy and helped him to not only play AFL again, but as Hawthorn captain. The same trait his forebears had in spades when they emigrated from Scotland, found no joy on the Victorian goldfields, so made their way to Gippsland and put down roots deep enough to have a Roughead St and Roughead Rd named after them (although the street signs have had a strange habit of disappearing over the years).
'You’ll read the stories of his childhood, of the basketballer who switched sports and learned not just to believe, but to expect to be the very best. Of his love for Sarah and their daughter Pippa, his unwavering will to carry on, his dignity through a final chapter of his career that was dignity personified, with a fairytale ending that was celebrated by all.'

Source: publisher's blurb

2 3 y separately published work icon The Spill Imbi Neeme , Melbourne : Viking , 2020 19143795 2020 single work novel

'In 1982, a car overturns on a remote West Australian road. Nobody is hurt, but the impact is felt for decades.

'Nicole and Samantha Cooper both remember the summer day when their mother, Tina, lost control of their car – but not in quite the same way. It is only after Tina’s death, almost four decades later, that the sisters are forced to reckon with the repercussions of the crash. Nicole, after years of aimless drifting, has finally found love, and yet can’t quite commit. And Samantha is hiding something that might just tear apart the life she’s worked so hard to build for herself.

'The Spill explores the cycles of love, loss and regret that can follow a family through the years – moments of joy, things left unsaid, and things misremembered. Above all, it is a deeply moving portrait of two sisters falling apart and finding a way to fit back together.'

Source: publisher's blurb

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