The Restless Years
1 primary work • 4 total works
Book 3
In 1950s Auckland things are changing - and fast. Women are joining the workforce in numbers, whitegoods are readily available and the age of rock'n' roll has arrived.
Allie Manaia works the Elizabeth Arden counter at Smith and Caughey's. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares.
Kathleen Lawson -- rich, lonely and bored -- is one of Allie's customers. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when Kathleen discovers Allie's husband is Maori, her attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Meanwhile, Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is embracing the more relaxed moral standards of the era, living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter to be raised by her mother.
As each woman navigates the shifting social and cultural landscape of the 1950s, she is faced with new possibilities and decisions - with freedom comes joy, but also fear and, occasionally, mistakes.
Told in Deborah Challinor's trademark style - equal parts heart and humour - From the Ashes follows the fortunes of the women of three families through one decade of incredible change.
Praise for Deborah Challinor:
'Challinor is a good storyteller ... seamlessly joining fact and fiction and creating a convincing, atmospheric yarn' Bookseller + Publisher
'The perfect blend of fact and fiction' New Zealand Herald
Bestselling author Deborah Challinor returns with a spellbinding novel about a woman living in Sydney's notorious King's Cross in 1964.
Polly Manaia is living in Sydney's notorious Kings Cross, working as an exotic dancer. She's desperate to bring her young daughter to live with her, but beneath her brash confidence lie dark secrets which threaten to drag her under.
Gina is excited to live with her mum again. She's mature for an eleven-year-old, but can this young girl cope with Polly's demons?
Rhoda and Star, transgender performers and Polly's flatmates, bring stability to Polly and Gina's lives. Yet this unlikely little family will find themselves threatened in more ways than one.
The Jacaranda House is a fascinating portrayal of a shifting society and a beautiful portrait of motherhood and identity.
'Australia's answer to Philippa Gregory' Brisbane Times
'A meticulously researched and compellingly readable story injected with heart and humour, From the Ashes is perfect for fans of Fiona McIntosh and Kate Furnivall. A five-star read' Better Reading
