You know us. We are your cousin Alice, who tells the story of Nanna's funeral; how all the cars followed Uncle George in the wrong direction, while a priest stood by the grave, waiting to conduct the burial. We are your dad, who you visit on warm summer nights, and he talks about the old days; when he met mum; when he worked in the cane fields. We are the migrant family next door, who laugh till they cry, telling of how, when they arrived in the fifties, they went to the milk bar for a gelati. The owner kept saying "Gilleti" and offering them razor blades. We are the Vietnamese mother who...

Leah is not looking forward to 'coming of age'. There are many dangers to face in the land where she lives: false wizards and barbaric ceremonies. However, nothing causes Leah more disquiet than the prospect of marriage - to be owned by a husband fills her with dread, but she will have no choice. She must bow to tradition. Leah's friend, Janah, left her home to be married some months ago. But she has now unexpectedly returned. The girls are re-united under strange circumstances, and face many difficulties together. Their wits are tested at every turn, as they must decide who to trust. Along...

A Lily for the Living is the second book in Rina's Australian country tales collection, following Tarnished Threads. The story begins with the arrival of a new policeman to the group of country towns around Koondaloo. Topper, as he is known, is a man who plays his cards close to his chest. Everyone in the close-knit country area is wondering why he has been transferred from his exciting city job. It's a question he asks himself, but it wasn't a matter of choice, and Robert Toppington doesn't care what the locals think. He soon discovers that there is nothing boring about his new life. As he...