Book Readings

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Morning Book Reading

Across the Nightingale Floor, by Lian Hearn

Reader: Chris Bedloe, 1RPH
Commenced: 22 February 2021

Across the Nightingale Floor, Book 1 of Lian Hearn’s Otori trilogy, is a thrilling fantasy story set in feudal Japan. Written by Australian author Gillian Rubinstein writing as Lian Hearn, it tells the story of the youth Takeo when he is adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. Under the watchful eye of Shigeru, Takeo learns that he belongs to an ancient network of families with extraordinary, magical powers. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor, which is constructed with such exquisite skill that it sings at the tread of each human foot.

Afternoon Book Reading

An Awkward Truth: the Bombing of Darwin, February 1942, by Peter Grose

Reader: Brian Patterson, 4RPH
Commenced: 10 March 2021

Darwin was a battle Australia would rather forget. Yet the Japanese attack on 19 February 1942 was the first wartime assault on Australian soil. The Japanese struck with the same carrier-borne force that devastated Pearl Harbor only ten weeks earlier. There was a difference. More bombs fell on Darwin, more civilians were killed, and more ships were sunk. The raid led to the worst death toll from any event in Australia. The attackers bombed and strafed three hospitals, flattened shops, offices and the police barracks, shattered the Post Office and communications centre, wrecked Government House, and left the harbour and airfields burning and ruined. The people of Darwin abandoned their town, leaving it to looters, a few anti-aircraft batteries and a handful of dogged defenders with single-shot .303 rifles. Yet the story has remained in the shadows.

Drawing on long-hidden documents and first-person accounts, Peter Grose tells what really happened and takes us into the lives of the people who were there. There was much to be proud of in Darwin that day: courage, mateship, determination and improvisation. But the dark side of the story involves looting, desertion and a calamitous failure of leadership. Australians ran away because they did not know what else to do.

Peter Grose is a journalist, literary agent, and author. An Awkward Truth was first published in 2009.

Children’s Book

Tomorrow When the War Began, by John Marsden (Book 1)

Reader: Sue Farrelly, 1RPH
Commenced: 12 February 2021

Tomorrow, When The War Began follows the adventures of Ellie Linton and her friends: teenagers growing up in the fictional Australian town of Wirrawee. Whilst camping at a local spot affectionately called Hell, the friends come to realise that their town has been invaded by an unknown foreign power. From here, the teenagers plan and launch a guerrilla warfare attack on the soldiers occupying their territory, resisting their invasion and trying to regain control of Wirrawee. Tomorrow was made into a feature film in 2010, and we are starting with Book 1 of the 7-book series. With a natural gift for storytelling, John Marsden began writing when working as a teacher and is one of Australia’s foremost writers of Young Adult fiction.