The Forgotten Girls
Monica Potts
Laughing at the Dark
Barbara Else
From the best-selling and acclaimed author Barbara Else, Laughing at the Dark is a funny, moving memoir about how she rebelled against being a ‘good girl’.
By the time she was in her forties, Barbara was married to a globally recognised academic physician and had two beautiful teenage daughters. As her writing career developed, her husband became angry at the prospect of her being anything but a housewife. In a moment of madness — or realisation — she packed her car and took off to live with the man who would become her second husband.
With her trademark wit and humour, Barbara poignantly describes her transformation from a shy but stubborn child into a fulfilled and successful adult.
Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict
Elizabeth Day
From ghosting and frenemies to social media and seismic life events, Elizabeth leaves no stone unturned. Friendaholic is the book you buy for the people you love but it’s also the book you read to become a better friend to yourself.
Jimmy Little: A Yorta Yorta Man
Frances Peters-Little
At just 16 years of age, Jimmy Little travelled to Sydney to make his radio debut on Australia’s Amateur Hour. The eldest of seven children and born on the Cummeragunja Reserve on the Murray River, Jimmy’s entry into the entertainment industry came at a time when First Nations people were not counted in the census.
In the face of indescribable barriers and discrimination, Jimmy would go on to woo the nation. His immense talent, charm and heart saw him become a household name and national treasure. Jimmy’s songs consistently topped the music charts of the 1960s, and he won several of Australia’s most prestigious lifetime achievement awards, including the ARIA Hall of Fame, NAIDOC Person of the Year, and Officer of the Order of Australia.
And now his daughter, Frances Peters-Little, tells the full story behind her father’s inspiring ascent to stardom. For though this is a story about a pop star and national celebrity, it is also the story of a gentle man who always stayed true to himself and his cultural identity – a man who believed in the power of living your dreams.
Second Chances
Hayley Holt
A raw and honest story of alcoholism, recovery, and courage in the face of loss Hayley Holt grew up in the public eye. On our screens for over twenty years, her highs and lows have been aired for everyone to see. Now it’s time to share her side of the story. Raised a dancer in bedazzled dresses and fake tan, Hayley was taught to smile and dance to each tightly choregraphed step. Underneath she was an introvert, socially awkward and unsure of who she wanted to be. When she discovered the freedom of professional snowboarding, she threw herself headfirst into the lifestyle and found a better self at the bottom of a bottle: confident, easygoing, the life of the party. In this vulnerable memoir, Hayley opens up about the self-doubt that eventually drove her to self-destruction.
As her high-profile media career grew, she spent nights drinking, getting kicked out of clubs, and blacking out. She describes the scare that led her to Alcoholics Anonymous, her journey to sobriety, and a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis that brought everything into focus. Then, single, age forty, and at the peak of her career, Hayley embarked on a widely reported ‘miracle’ pregnancy that was cut short by a devastating miscarriage. In the darkest place of her life, she found hope in a blossoming new love, the support of her family and the strength in herself to carry on.
Heartbreaking and life-affirming, filled with Hayley’s wicked wit and charm, Second Chances is about hiding your true self, finding the courage to confront your mistakes, and learning that even the deepest pain can be followed by the greatest joy.
