Author(s): Kim Kelly

Fiction

It is 1914 and Lithgow is booming. Daniel is a young German-Australian, a coalminer and a socialist; Francine is a bourgeois Irish Catholic princess, the too-good-for-this-place daughter of one of the mine's owners. When their paths collide, they fall in love despite themselves. But before their signatures on the marriage certificate are dry, World War I erupts, throwing in their path a new and much more terrifying obstacle. Against his principles but driven by a sense of solidarity, Daniel enlists; Francine, horrified, has no choice but to support him. As they hurtle towards a daunting world of war, separation and grief, the novel explores ideals of heroism and femininity, the thin line between courage and stupidity, and the resilience of individuals in a rapidly changing, uncertain world. Inspired by anecdotal accounts, letters, photographs, newsclippings and diaries rather than 'official' histories, this is a moving story of a tumultuous period in our history - and a wonderful celebration of the resilience of love, told with verve and a dash of humour.