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An Englishwoman’s account of emigrating to Australia in 1949, together with her asthmatic husband, their three-year-old daughter
– and her mother’s antique sideboard! We spend Christmas Day at Hurtle’s house. It is not where I want to be. Children’s voices fill the air in play, but I brace myself for the inevitable scream of frustration from one little girl. It is an emotion I can relate to, but for me, screaming is against the rules. MOLLIE VEALE - 1949 |
A dream of a better life – and a reality that shatters the illusion
Five Star Reviews on Amazon:
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“beautifully written… definitely worth a read”
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“a delightful and compassionate nugget of history”
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Alan Veale : This one is personal. My mother died in 1985 aged seventy. She had been a widow for nearly thirty years and I remembered little about my father. Sometime later an aunt of mine gave me a bundle of letters, photographs and other documents. That was the first time I learned of the stark realities my parents faced before I was born. I knew nothing of British post-war austerity (they didn’t teach us that in school), and my mother had rarely mentioned anything to me about her personal history.
Through the letters she wrote from 1949 to 1950 I learned of the remarkable friendships my parents made in South Australia, the calamitous nature of the ‘business’ my father had tried to establish, and how they had to face up to a life-changing decision. This was a world that predates the internet and social media, where there were few telephones, and where letters were as addictive as oxygen.
Through the letters she wrote from 1949 to 1950 I learned of the remarkable friendships my parents made in South Australia, the calamitous nature of the ‘business’ my father had tried to establish, and how they had to face up to a life-changing decision. This was a world that predates the internet and social media, where there were few telephones, and where letters were as addictive as oxygen.
I had research material in my possession that any writer would savour, and turning those letters into a personal memoir was a challenge I could not resist.
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July 1946 – A letter from Australia dangles a carrot: Former soldier Eric Veale determines to remove his new family from British post-war austerity, and take a chance on a business venture twelve thousand miles away.
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September 1949 – Mollie Veale dreams of a better life for her asthma-suffering husband and their three-year-old daughter. Putting her trust in her husband’s vision, she tears herself away from her family in Manchester. Mollie has one condition: her mother’s antique sideboard must go with them!
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The Aussie verdict:
From an Australian perspective you have captured a very accurate description, not only of the landscape and flora typical to the particular region, but also Adelaide as it was in the 1950's, Elder Park, RSL Club, buildings, street electricity wiring and the like. Clever research mate.
Best part about this book is that it IS a RIPPER, easy to read and difficult to insert a bookmark.
LINC BARRINGTON, Cape Jervis SA
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Enjoy a SNEAK PREVIEW of
A KANGAROO IN MY SIDEBOARD ! |
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