Daughter Of The River

From her upbringing in the slums of Chongqing to her sexual and intellectual awakening to her search to unravel the mystery of her birth, a coming-of-age portrait by a renowned poet and novelist details her turbulent life against the backdrop of Communist China.

A portrait of a young girl growing up in Mao's China. Born into a slum in 1962 during the Great Famine, Hong Ying describes her life, including the mystery which surrounded her early life, her parents, the death of her lover and child and her eventual move to London from China after the events in Tian'anmen Square.

An entrancing, atmospheric and lyrical novel that brings the beauty and mystery of the Australian bush alive on the page. Feeling isolated and alone with her beloved aunt about to move overseas, Alisa begins unpacking the boxes her aunt has had to leave behind. In one of them, she discovers her father’s old sketchbook with a mysterious drawing of a white egret at a waterhole. When the newly unearthed sketchbook is stolen, Alisa begins to experience a series of strange and magical events: a visit by an otherworldly stranger; a friend’s sister lost in the bush; animals around her imbued with an uncanny knowing, and the feeling that someone out there is watching her. Impelled to make sense of these happenings, Alisa soon realises that she is piecing together the clues to her parents’ untimely deaths and ultimately, to the stunning truth about who, or what, she really is. Immerse yourself in the earthly and unearthly mysteries of this mesmerising new novel from Australian author, Alexandra Manfield.

The tragic, true story of Helen Spence, the teenager who murdered her father’s killers in the insulated lower White River area of Arkansas in 1931. The once-thriving houseboat communities along Arkansas’s White River are long gone, and few remember the sensational murder story that set local darling Helen Spence on a tragic path. In 1931, Spence shocked Arkansas when she avenged her father’s murder in a DeWitt courtroom. The state soon discovered that no prison could hold her. For the first time, prison records are unveiled to provide an essential portrait. Join author Denise Parkinson for an intimate look at a Depression-era tragedy. The legend of Helen Spence refuses to be forgotten—despite her unmarked grave. “Most memorably, Parkinson evokes the natural beauty of the White River itself. But more importantly, she’s given Helen Spence, daughter of the river, a sympathetic hearing—something in its pulp version of events Daring Detective did not.”—Memphis Flyer “Denise details Helen’s life, from the murder of her father to the horrific treatment she received at the hands of the law, including how prison officials seemed to entice her to escape a final time, with the attempt culminating in her murder.”—Only in Arkansas

From a victim of the Stolen Generations comes a remarkable memoir of abuse, survival - and ultimately hope. Born in country NSW in the 1940s, baby Dianne is immediately taken from her Aboriginal mother. Raised in the era of the White Australia policy, Dianne grows up believing her adoptive Irish mother, Val, is her birth mother. Val promises Dianne that one day they will take a trip and she will 'tell her a secret'. But before they get the chance, Val tragically dies. Abandoned by her adoptive father, Dianne is raped at the age of 15, sentenced to Parramatta Girls Home and later forced to marry her rapist in order to keep her baby. She goes on to endure horrific domestic violence at the hands of different partners, alcohol addiction and cruel betrayal by those closest to her. But amazingly her fighting spirit is not extinguished. At the age of 36, while raising six kids on her own, Dianne learns she is Aboriginal and that her great-grandfather was William Cooper, a famous Aboriginal activist. Miraculously she finds a way to forgive her traumatic past and becomes a leader in her own right, vowing to help other stolen people just like her. 'A compelling piece of storytelling. The life story of Dianne O'Brien inspires. It is a story about the power of love and staying the course.' - Linda Burney MP

Originally published in a slightly different form: Oakton, VA: RavensYard, 2005.

Publisher Description

A thrilling historical adventure (with Common Core connections) set in the underbelly of the Tower of London and on the Thames in Tudor times.Perfect for fans of Matthew J. Kirby's The Clockwork Three and F.E. Higgins'sThe Black Book of Secrets. Basket Girl, When you're dead Who will carry All the heads? The crowds at the Tower of London love a good execution. As the basket girl, it's Moss's job to catch the heads that her father chops off. It's a life she longs to leave behind, but she, too, is a prisoner and there's no escaping the Tower walls. Or is there? A hidden tunnel takes her to the shores of the great River Thames, where she meets Salter, a river rat who teaches her how to survive with her wits, and the occasional theft. But there's a reason Moss's father insisted she never go near the river--a deal struck long ago--and now payment is due. . . . Jane Hardstaff's The Executioner's Daughter is a thrilling historical adventure with a hint of a ghost story set amid the glamour and grime of Tudor London during the reign of Henry VIII. Praise for The Executioner's Daughter: Longlisted for the 2015 Oxfordshire Book Award "Hardstaff has a real talent for creating a sense of place and drama . . . and her descriptions of the wretchedness of life on the river and a child's lowly lot are worth locking yourself up for an afternoon's reading pleasure." --The Times (London) "This notable debut mixes vivid history with supernatural adventure, and from its dark depths friendship, forgiveness, and parental love rise to the surface." --The Sunday Times