In the second half of the nineteenth century, hundreds of escaped prisoners from the French territory of New Caledonia made their way to Australia in search of freedom, with the majority arriving in Queensland. Their aim was to escape the brutal conditions of life in a penal colony. In December 1889, two escapees calling themselves … [Read more…]
Barbara Johnson Chase’s three books of art and poetry are books to have on hand for a quiet moment of reflection or escapism. Some poems are a single stanza, while others go for multiple pages, allowing the books and artwork to fill the down-time available to the reader. As a combination of art and poetry, they … [Read more…]
This is one for the crime fiction fans. ‘The Hanged Man’s Tale’ follows the police investigation of a murder where the victim is found hanging inside a canal tunnel in Paris with a tarot card in his pocket. The book is written by Gerald Jay, the nom de plume of the late creative writing academic … [Read more…]
When Daniel Fallon’s father died, he inherited two letters sent to his great-great-grandfather by the French romantic writer François-René de Chateaubriand. The letters aligned with a family story about his great-great-great-grandmother Mary O’Neill showing kindness to Chateaubriand when he was in London – and Fallon wanted to know more. Love’s Legacy is Fallon’s investigation into a … [Read more…]
“French Connection” is a non-fiction work about the history of French migration and French migrants in Australia in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. It’s particularly concerned with identity; a young Australian nation finding its identity, and French migrants to Australia finding theirs. Although it’s non-fiction, it’s highly readable for general interest and non-academic audiences. Author … [Read more…]
Oliver Gee and Lina Nordin Gee are an Australian-Swedish couple who have been living in Paris for nearly seven years. Living the dream in Paris—between the two of them they: run a successful podcast, design shoes, and handbags, write and illustrate books, and navigate life as new parents. It may sound exhausting for some, but … [Read more…]
Kylie the Crocodile lives in a canal in Paris. She used to live in an apartment with a Parisian lady until she grew too big and was released into the canal. Now, she enjoys people-watching and exploring the city’s sights at night when the city is quiet. I love a book that starts with a … [Read more…]
Ongoing creative collaboration on children’s books across the Atlantic Ocean has helped bring Patti Lecron and her daughter Marianne Lecron closer together while achieving a family goal of leaving their children a literary, artistic, and entrepreneurial heritage. Patti likes to say that curiosity brought her to France but it was a smile that kept her … [Read more…]
Iris, the mouse wants to be the tooth fairy. That’s because, in France, the tooth fairy isn’t a fairy at all but a special mouse that collects children’s baby teeth when they fall out. A Genuine Little Mouse, written and illustrated by PB Lecron, and available in French as Une Véritable Petite Souris, is about … [Read more…]
In 1548 Martin Guerre left his wife, left his son, and left the village of Artigat in southwest France. 12 years later, “Martin” returned. Many people may be familiar with Martin Guerre’s story from various creative works, including a film with Gerard Depardieu from 1982. For those who aren’t, it’s a fascinating story of how … [Read more…]