Wendy James

A homecoming snares a young woman in a dangerous tangle of lies, secrets, and bad blood in this gripping novel by the bestselling author of An Accusation. Running from a bad relationship, journalist Jo Sharpe heads home to Arthurville, the drought-stricken town she turned her back on years earlier. While some things have changed--her relationship with her ailing, crotchety father, her new job at the community newspaper--Jo finds that her return has rekindled the grief and uncertainty she experienced during her childhood following the inexplicable disappearance of her mother and baby sister. Returning to Arthurville has its unexpected pleasures, though, as Jo happily reconnects with old friends and makes a few new ones. But she can't let go of her search for answers to that long-ago mystery. And as she keeps investigating, the splash she's making begins to ripple outward--far beyond the disappearance of her mother and sister. Jo is determined to dig as deep as it takes to get answers. But it's not long before she realises that someone among the familiar faces doesn't want her picking through the debris of the past. And they'll go to any lengths to silence the little bird before she sings the truth.

A Novel

A Little Bird

sweetness, danger, bullying, shame

The Golden Child

Who to believe - the distressed girl who says she was kidnapped or the middle-aged woman with no alibi and a chequered past? After 17-year-old Ellie Canning is found shivering on a country road, dressed only in ill-fitting pyjamas, her story of kidnap and escape enthrals the nation. A middle-aged woman with a crazy old mother has held her in a basement, chained to a bed with a blue-striped quilt, given her drinks from an old baby's sippy cup. But who and why? And what other secrets might this woman hide? Suzannah Wells, a once-famous soapie star and now a teacher at the local high school, seems dazed by the accusation ... to start with. But if she had few friends in the district, she has barely none now. And the evidence is strong: a dementia-affected mother, a house with a basement, a bed with a blue-striped quilt, and a sippy cup that belonged to her long-dead daughter. And Ellie Canning's DNA everywhere. The media can't get enough of Ellie. She's a girl-power icon, a social-media star. But is she telling the truth? A powerful exploration of the fragility of trust, from the author of The Golden Child and The Mistake.

The Accusation

Who to believe - the distressed girl who says she was kidnapped or the middle-aged woman with no alibi and a chequered past? After 17-year-old Ellie Canning is found shivering on a country road, dressed only in ill-fitting pyjamas, her story of kidnap and escape enthrals the nation. A middle-aged woman with a crazy old mother has held her in a basement, chained to a bed with a blue-striped quilt, given her drinks from an old baby's sippy cup. But who and why? And what other secrets might this woman hide? Suzannah Wells, a once-famous soapie star and now a teacher at the local high school, seems dazed by the accusation ... to start with. But if she had few friends in the district, she has barely none now. And the evidence is strong: a dementia-affected mother, a house with a basement, a bed with a blue-striped quilt, and a sippy cup that belonged to her long-dead daughter. And Ellie Canning's DNA everywhere. The media can't get enough of Ellie. She's a girl-power icon, a social-media star. But is she telling the truth?

An Accusation

2017 Ned Kelly Award Best Crime Fiction shortlist 'A chilling novel of our time, with a truly shocking twist' Australian Women's Weekly When teenage bullying spirals out of control who is to blame? Blogger Lizzy's life is shiny, happy, normal. Two gorgeous children, a handsome husband, destiny under control. For her real-life alter-ego Beth, things are unravelling. Tensions simmer with her husband, mother-in-law, her own mother. Her daughters, once the objects of her existence, have moved into teenage-hood, their lives - at school, home and online - increasingly mysterious to her. Then a fellow student is callously bullied and the finger of blame pointed at one of Beth's girls. As an innocent child lies suspended between life and death, two families are forced to question everything they believe about their children, and the answers are terrifying. As unsettling as it is compelling, The Golden Child asks: how well can you know anyone in the digital age? A potent story with shades of The Party and Mary Kubica. Two families grapple with the tragic fallout of cyberbullying. PRAISE 'On par with the thought-provoking nature of Jodi Picoult's works, combined with the rapt storytelling style of Liane Moriarty, readers will finish the last page wanting more' Erin Holt, Booklist US 'The novel is cleverly constructed, the characters are extremely well-drawn, the use of social media as a plot device is very sophisticated, and the resolution is a genuine surprise' Judges' report, Ned Kelly Crime Awards, 2017 'This is domestic noir at its most intelligent and sharp' Sydney Morning Herald 'It takes 48 hours to pulse through Wendy James' rollercoaster 21st century story about parenting' Australian Women's Weekly 'an engaging and intimate read that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult, with nods to Lionel Shriver and Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap . . . 4 Stars' Books & Publishing 'This book is utterly brilliant' Nicola Moriarty' 'Brilliant. Such a clever plot, and such real characters, and so very, very well written' Danielle Hawkins

When online bullying spirals out of control who is to blame?

Somebody is lying. After eighteen-year-old Ellie Canning is found shivering and barely conscious on a country road, her bizarre story of kidnap and escape enthrals the nation. Who would do such a thing? And why? Local drama teacher Suzannah Wells, once a minor celebrity, is new to town. Suddenly she's in the spotlight again, accused of being the monster who drugged and bound a teenager in her basement. As stories about her past emerge, even those closest to her begin to doubt her innocence. And Ellie? The media can't get enough of her. She's a girl-power icon, a social-media star. But is she telling the truth? A powerful exploration of the fragility of trust and the loss of innocence, from the author of The Golden Child and The Mistake. PRAISE 'James brilliantly takes this historical true crime and updates it to the internet age' Cameron Woodhead, Sydney Morning Herald 'This satisfying novel perfectly captures our current world, saturated by social media, obsessed by beautiful victims and easily identified villains, and quick to judge and condemn ... This is a gripping novel with plenty of twists, underpinned by acute observations about society.' Good Reading magazine 'The Accusation will grip you from page one ... Intelligent, suspenseful, and masterfully paced, with a killer twist in the tail, The Accusation is domestic noir at its best, perfect for fans of Adele Parks, Caroline Overington and Liane Moriarty' Better Reading 'The Accusation is Australian crime writing at its best, showcasing the great talent of Australian women writers out there today. It deserves all the hype! A brilliant book, very highly recommended.' But Books are Better blog 'The way the book was structured really gave it an inventive feel ... Highly recommended' Katrina Ferguson and Kathryn Ryan, Radio New Zealand PRAISE FOR THE GOLDEN CHILD 'The novel is cleverly constructed, the characters are extremely well-drawn, the use of social media as a plot device is very sophisticated, and the resolution is a genuine surprise' Judges' report, Ned Kelly Crime Awards, 2017 'This is domestic noir at its most intelligent and sharp' Sydney Morning Herald 'It takes 48 hours to pulse through Wendy James' rollercoaster 21st century story about parenting' Australian Women's Weekly 'an engaging and intimate read that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult, with nods to Lionel Shriver and Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap . . . 4 Stars' Books & Publishing 'This book is utterly brilliant' Nicola Moriarty'

Beth Mahony is a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, Lucy and Charlotte. She’s also a blogger, whose alter ego, Lizzie, paints a picture of a busy, happy life. Originally from Australia, Beth and her family have lived in New Jersey for ten years. When an opportunity to relocate to Australia arises, the Mahonys decide to return to their native country. The move comes at the perfect time: Charlotte, the youngest daughter, has been accused of being the ringleader of a clique of girls whose dangerous initiation rites leave a child in hospital. In Newcastle, Lucy and Charlotte attend a prestigious all-girls school, and Beth and her husband gradually settle into their new life. The almost immediately popular Charlotte is thrust back into the spotlight when she is blamed for bullying a classmate to the point of suicide. With Charlotte refusing to take the blame, the bullied child’s parents seeking retribution, and her husband and mother-in-law doubting Charlotte’s innocence, Beth is forced to examine her children's actions critically—at a heartbreaking cost. The Golden Child tells the story of two families’ heartbreaking realization that there are no guarantees when it comes to parenting. The novel grapples with modern-day specters of selfies, selfishness, and cyber bullying to expose the complex anxieties of the female psyche.

Marcel Mauss

N. J. Allen

Presents results of a September 1996 conference held at Oxford University, re-evaluating the importance of the writings and inspiration of Marcel Mauss, the nephew and younger colleague of Emile Durkheim. Explores not only the context of Mauss' work and his influence on other writers, but also the resonance of some of his key themes for the concerns of today's anthropology and sociology. Papers are arranged in sections on the scholar and his time, foundations of Maussian anthropology, critiques of exchange and power, and materiality, body, and history. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A Centenary Tribute

Robin Dunbar

Nicholas J. Allen

Hilary Callan

Early Human Kinship brings together original studies fromleading figures in the biological sciences, social anthropology,archaeology, and linguistics to provide a major breakthrough in thedebate over human evolution and the nature of society. A major new collaboration between specialists across the rangeof the human sciences including evolutionary biology andpsychology; social/cultural anthropology; archaeology andlinguistics Provides a ground-breaking set of original studies offering anew perspective on early human history Debates fundamental questions about early human society: Wasthere a connection between the beginnings of language and thebeginnings of organized 'kinship and marriage'? How far didevolutionary selection favor gender and generation as principlesfor regulating social relations? Sponsored by the Royal Anthropological Institute of GreatBritain and Ireland in conjunction with the British Academy

From Sex to Social Reproduction

Early Human Kinship

"Why She Loves Him is a collection of short stories. The title sequence is a discontinuous narrative: a series of stories that traces the fraught relationship between a young woman, Meg, who is on the run with her lover, Jimmy - a self-styled modern-day outlaw, who's wanted for murder. The remaining stories cover a vast terrain, temporally and geographically, but are linked thematically - with the desire for escape or change a recurring refrain in many of the stories."--Provided by publisher.

Stories

Why She Loves Him

Casey Withoos

The Lost Girls

A domestic thriller that takes the form of a classic imposter novel, but with a 21st century twist. A seemingly perfect family household is rocked by the reappearance of a sister they thought was long gone. Suspicions soon arise and no one is sure if she is who she claims to be. Wendy James combines her wry observation of the domestic, with quality writing and strong character development to guarantee a plot-driven, page-turning, suspense novel.

Where Have You Been?

Winner of the Best First Australian Crime Novel, Ned Kelly Crime Awards 2006I hold Jacky close, fix my eyes on the door and walk as fast as I can.'Oh, please, don't run away. Think of your child, if you cannot think of yourself.''What we are suggesting is nothing,' the man mutters darkly, as I pass through the door and into the brightly lit hall. 'Nothing. Far worse can happen.'Far worse.I have a baby, two shillings, no reputation and nowhere to go, but even so I cannot imagine what far worse might be.Out of the Silence is a stunning debut novel about three women from very different worlds: Maggie Heffernan, a spirited working-class country girl; Elizabeth Hamilton, whose own disappointment in love has served only to strengthen her humanity; and the remarkable Vida Goldstein, the suffragist who was to become the first woman to stand for Parliament.When Maggie's life descends into darkness after a terrible betrayal, the three women's lives collide. Around this tragedy Wendy James has constructed a masterfully drawn and gripping fiction. Based on a true story, it unfolds at the dawn of the twentieth century against the compelling backdrop of the women's suffrage movement and a world on the brink of enormous change.The novel powerfully evokes the plight of women in the early 1900s – not least their limited options, whatever their class and education. However, at its heart this is a story of love – of love gone wrong; of its compromises and disappointments; but ultimately of its extraordinary transformative power."This is a work of intelligence and talent informed by a deeply humane sensitivity." —Sydney Morning Herald

A Story of Love, Betrayal, Politics and Murder

Out of the Silence

Mistake

Katherine Tonkin

The Steele Diaries

Donald Lewis Donham

Inter-disciplinary approach to Ethiopian imperial history.

Essays in History and Social Anthropology

The Southern Marches of Imperial Ethiopia

It is as if I am slowly sinking in the water, just occasionally making it back to the top for a gulp of air – to a sort of memory of what life can be – what life should be – and then down down down I go again. And each time the surfacing gets harder and harder and requires a greater feat of will, kicking and turning and fighting against the undertow ... What I fear most is that as the memory gets fainter and fainter – that eventually I will just give into it and go under, relieved that I don't have to struggle anymore, that I can just sink into to this blessed oblivion, give into this siren song of domesticity... The only child of two famous but self-absorbed artists, Zelda Steele is adopted by her parent's patrons when she is just a baby. Great things are expected of this privileged young woman, but at twenty-seven Zelda is dead, leaving two young children and a body of work that only hints at her promise. Decades later, Zelda's daughter Ruth returns to her childhood home to find the diaries her mother is rumoured to have kept. What they reveal takes her on a journey into the past: her mother's, her grandmothers and, ultimately, her own. Weaving together the narratives of three very different women, living in vastly different times, The Steele Diaries paints a rich and evocative portrait of the Sydney art scene from the thirties to the seventies, and the eternal conflict between motherhood and self. "As a fan of Out of the Silence, the author's award winning debut, I had high hopes for this second effort – and it didn't disappoint. Diaries is a wonderful exploration of the tricky relationship between motherhood and art." — WHO Magazine

From the bestselling author of The Mistake comes a hauntingly powerful story about families and secrets and the dark shadows cast by the past. Curl Curl, Sydney, January 1978. Angie's a looker. Or she's going to be. She's only fourteen, but already, heads turn wherever she goes. Male heads, mainly . . . Jane worships her older cousin Angie. She spends her summer vying for Angie's attention. Then Angie is murdered. Jane and her family are shattered. They withdraw into themselves, casting a veil of silence over Angie's death.Thirty years later, a journalist arrives with questions about the tragic event. Jane is relieved to finally talk about her adored cousin. And so is her family. But whose version of Angie's story – whose version of Angie herself – is the real one? And can past wrongs ever be made right? The shocking truth of Angie's last days will force Jane to question everything she once believed. Because nothing – not the past or even the present – is as she once imagined.

David Mills

This book explores the relevance of classical ideas in the anthropology of time tothe way we understand history, participate in the events around us, and experienceour lives. Time is not just an abstract principle we live by or a local cultural construct: it is shaped, punctuated, organized, and suffered in complex ways by real people negotiating their lives and relations with others. Space may be opened up for politics, violence or revolutionary change within the framework of ceremonial markers of social time: holy days, festivals and carnivals. People create and recreate patterns in the way they imagine the past, present and future at such moments, through material objects, language, symbolic action and bodily experience. The rhythms of social life, including periodic episodes of sacred or special time, interact with 'historical events' in strange ways. They are fundamental not only to the human condition but to the making andremembering of history, as well as to what we recognize as the unexpected or abnormal. The Qualities of Time brings anthropologists and archaeologists together in a new conversation about the 'patterns' of our understanding and experience of time. The authors reflect on how we should interpret evidence about the distant past, andhow far the structuring of social time is a human universal. They also consider whether anthropology itself has been so oriented to the present it has still to develop ways of dealing with temporality. The interactions of time-structures, ceremonials, and specific historical events, including violence inspired by the millennium, are interrogated. The experience of individuals who feel the times are for them 'out of joint' is also examined. By combining socio-cultural, philosophical and historical approaches, thisthought-provoking book moves anthropological debates about time's qualities wellbeyond existing studies.This book explores the relevance of classical ideas in the anthropology of time toth

Anthropological Approaches

The Qualities of Time

Jodie Garrow is a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks when she falls pregnant. Scared, alone and desperate to make something of her life, she adopts out the baby illegally - and tells nobody. Twenty-five years on, Jodie has built a new life and a new family. But when a chance meeting brings the adoption to the notice of the authorities, Jodie becomes caught in a nationwide police investigation, and the centre of a media witch hunt. What happened to Jodie's baby? And where is she now? The fallout from Jodie's past puts her whole family under the microscope, and her husband and daughter must re-examine everything they believed to be true. Potent, provocative and compulsively readable, The Mistake cuts to the heart of what makes a family, and ask us whether we can ever truly know another person. Praise for The Mistake 'Sharp, incisive and compassionate . . . full of insight, humour, intelligence and honesty. A profoundly satisfying read.' Sun-Herald 'With strong characterisation and a whack of psychological suspense, it is the kind of novel that will have you second-guessing your own reactions . . .' The Age 'James's pacing of her plot is masterly.' Adelaide Advertiser

Wendy James

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