“The beautiful boy staring out from the book cover was sunshine itself. I was lucky to meet Malachy in an all too familiar setting for Maggie and Dom, at Sydney’s Westmead hospital. Malachy stole your heart in an instant. He’d be very proud of his Dad and his family, who have crafted an exquisite tribute to his remarkable life. With an eloquence and insight that comes in part from overwhelming pain and loss, Dom has written a book that speaks to all the complexities of the human experience. This is so much more than a guidebook to being the parents of a Heartkid; it’s a deeply profound memoir about the meaning of life.  In his life, Malachy bestowed his special gifts on everyone who knew him. With this magnificent book, Dom conveys the Malachy magic to all, reminding us again that we can never take a single day for granted.”

“All around us, though we don’t always know it, are parents whose children are not well. Who have anguish and grief mixed with the normal travails of raising a child. Some of these parents become able to rise up through that and muster an extra lovingness that means a hard life, or a tragically short life, can still be a beautiful one.  Suffering doesn’t have to break us.  It can teach us to love.  A beautifully written book about a beautifully loved child: this family did something special under huge stress, and we can all take heart from it.”

“A beautiful book and an eye-opener for all of us involved in the care of children with heart problems. Always well-intentioned but often messy, their story is a good reminder of how we can improve. Dom and Maggie’s relationship with Malachy, and their investment of precious time in the development of HeartKids, both have interesting back stories. Their loss is enormous. Dom’s thoughtful humanity shines as a guiding light throughout.”

“It was my privilege to have known Maria. Her kindness and generosity touched everyone around her. Her indomitable spirit carried her from the horrors of World War II in Croatia to a new life in tropical Queensland. The girl who left tells the tale of a young woman whose faith and courage enabled her to thrive through the challenges of war in Europe and immigration to Australia. A wonderful story of hope and love from a time not so long ago.”

“The girl who left is a timeless story of familial love, and the horrors of war. This beautifully captured story of survival of Maria, a young girl living through the horrors of WW2 in Yugoslavia, who makes a brave decision to leave her homeland, culture, family and friends behind in search of a better life as a proxy-bride in Australia, demonstrates the importance for Australians to appreciate and continue the conversation about our kaleidoscope of stories from our post-World War II immigration history. Debra Gavranich has delivered her mother’s lullaby as a lesson in gratitude and humility.”

“This is a beautiful family story of one woman’s courageous journey to a new and foreign country on the other side of the world, richly woven with touching detail of her life—from war-torn Yugoslavia, to finding her place in the rugged and remote landscape of North Queensland… A quintessential Australian immigration story, showcasing our diverse cultural heritage, our multicultural identity and what it means to be Australian.”

“Debra Gavranich’s recreation of her mother’s life story is a timely reminder of the resilience and hope of Australia’s post-World War II immigrants. Gavranich also provides a glimpse into the complexity of Croatia’s recent past. The book is a fitting tribute to a courageous woman, one of many.”

“Ben Doherty has found a universal Romeo and Juliet love story in one of the remotest and least-known arts of the world, and tells it beautifully”.

“A very compelling insight into the [Victorian] Police Force of yesterday … I kept thinking of what Winston Churchill said in the British Parliament: The opposition occupies the benches in front of you, but the enemy sits behind you.”

“Yvonne Fein’s collection of short stories is plump with Jewish humour, a touch of magic realism and a bisl (little) pathos. She interweaves modern life, colourful characters and Jewish history into a vividly evocative tapestry.”

“A blend of light and dark, of wry humour and fierce reminders.”

“This is a deeply personal and moving story of human resilience, patience, compassion and gratitude. May it move others to empathy and provide insight into the desperate circumstances which force a person to flee their home and become a refugee. Accounts like these are so important in changing Australia’s inhumane immigration policies.”

“Para Paheer’s lived experience combines conflict, suffering, courage, tragedy, compassion, and hope. It must be read, precisely because it is heart-wrenching; because the discomfort it elicits may goad us to abandon apathy, embrace sympathy, and thereby discover our common humanity.”

“Ali’s voice is calm, factual, avoids hysteria, and is all the more compelling for this.  I’ve read other stories of trauma, such as Anne Frank’s Diary, The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif, and I am Malala. This book belongs up there with them.”

Included in The Age‘s Best Books of 2017

“This is magic realism flipped. The magical world is shot through with real­ism. The writing is ravishing: shimmeringly poet­ic. Even as the story progresses and the mood darkens, the narrator holds beauty as close as a talisman.”

“Les Twentyman is one of Australia’s great storytellers. This book is funny, honest and inspirational; it teaches us about character, leadership and community – the essence of Les’s life.”

“A good read for people with compassionate souls.”

“This sparkling memoir will take you deeply into the lives of back-to-the-earth, self-sustaining hippies of the 70s, 80s and 90s and a passionate relationship between a feminist free-thinker and an Egyptian man twenty-seven years her junior. Artist Katherine Boland lived on the edge of social mores that most of us cling to. She tells her extraordinary story with humour, insight and a painterly eye.“

“A wonderful depiction of living without bounds and loving without fear. Katherine writes like she lives: courageously, passionately and without regret.”

“Our richness as a migrant nation endures through the stories of our forebears, told and retold to new generations. This is one such story among many that make us who we are today”

“Offered to us as a tale of turmoil in a Catholic soul, John Watt’s novel is also a deeply-felt study of the human struggle for liberty; of the price we might be willing to pay, and why we should”

“A compelling story I couldn’t put down”

“This frank and searching narrative is in fact a compelling social document. The author demonstrates a remarkable ability to recall the details of her life in the middle of the 20th century in Australia, and to construct from her joys and sorrows a memoir that is warm, thoughtful and inspirational.”

“An antidote to the mindless bigotry I hear regularly in the media and from Australians about this issue. I can only be grateful that someone has had the good sense to make this book required reading for the young people of this country. With any luck this type of literature may slowly bring about a change in the way the general public views the part they can play in the plight of those less fortunate in the world who only ask for a chance in this “lucky country”