Ashes and Sakura is the second novel in the Becoming Australia series, following on from An Attractive Naivety.
The story reunites readers with Tom and his sister Evelyn, both last seen in the earlier novel, as they face the upheavals of the postwar world.
Japan, 1946. Haunted by what he witnessed-and did-during the fighting, Australian soldier Tom joins the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in a nation devastated by defeat. In the ruins of Hiroshima, he meets Natsuko, a young Japanese woman cast adrift by hunger and shame. Their fragile bond offers a glimmer of meaning in the rubble.
Back home in country New South Wales, Evelyn faces a scandal of her own. Pregnant to Giovanni, an Italian prisoner of war once assigned to their family farm, she defies her father and the small-town whispers to keep the child. With her mind made up-and help from the local priest-she sets out to find Giovanni and build a future on her own terms.
Ashes and Sakura is a tender story of love, shame, and the struggle for good in a world that has been torn apart. A novel about what war destroys-and what might still be mended in its wake.
Sprache
Produkt-Hinweis
Broschur/Paperback
Klebebindung
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Dicke: 15 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-7641991-0-0 (9781764199100)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Dr David Gormley-O'Brien is a writer and historian based in Woodend, Victoria, where he lives with his partner, Sara, on a smallholding with geese, ducks and chickens, a dog named Mavis, and a bossy cat called Franklin.He enjoyed a long career as a university lecturer in the history of ideas and religions in Late Antiquity. After completing his Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford in 2005, his research focused on ancient philosophical conventions of self-sufficiency and friendship.In recent years, David's work has turned to the human aftermath of war, migration, and national identity. Through historical fiction, he explores how the upheavals of the early and mid 20th century shaped the ways everyday Australians understood themselves and others.When not researching and writing, David enjoys gardening and maintaining his 50 year old Land Rover. He is also a keen advocate for renewable energy, electric vehicles (bikes and cars), and climate change mitigation and adaptation. He served four years as president of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group and was named Macedon Ranges Citizen of the Year in 2022.David's first historical novel - An Attractive Naivety - was published in July 2024.The companion novel - Ashes & Sakura - was published in August 2025.david@nihilalienum.au
