When she finally left, like properly totally completely left, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The signs were there. Amina’s marriage to Amin was supposed to be a new beginning, instead, it became an inescapable end. Even after the divorce, the shadow of their relationship clings to her, defining her life long after they part. Set within the intricate world of an Arab community, the story of these once-lovers explores the devastating impact of a failed marriage from its heady beginning to its bitter end. From the outset, it’s clear this is a story of departure, yet Amina’s physical leaving is only the very first step. Like Lot’s wife, forbidden to look back at her razed city, Amina is meant to move forward, but how can she when the past is burned into her soul? PRAISE FOR THE LOVERS: SHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD ‘her writing is poetic and reverential. The author’s understanding of love, romance and of responsibility runs deep.’ –Books + Publishing ‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’ –Sydney Morning Herald ‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab’s poetic prose, The Lovers is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’ –Sunday Life

An absorbing tale of science and showmanship, ideology and enterprise, that provides not just a fascinating history of our country, but also crucial insight into the deep currents that continue to propel modern lifeDuring the contentious and progressive antebellum era, the Fowler family preached a gospel of self-improvement to a nation eager to embrace its foundational beliefs. For the first time, this new “science” of phrenology offered all Americans the ability to improve their station by unlocking their innate mental and emotional truths. Revered politicians, quirky celebrities, infamous criminals, and social outcasts all found their way to the Fowlers for skull readings.Brimming with the energy to change the world, the Fowlers connected phrenology to practically every aspect of life in the young nation—from abolition to women’s rights, temperance to prison reform, spiritualism and mesmerism to vegetarianism and sexual education. But there...

When Caroline Alleyn inherits Wickham Grange, all she wants to do is sell up. There are bad memories there, linked to her childhood as the daughter of a single mother – and to all the other mothers she knew in that house. But her grandmother Frances's will means that it can't be sold without the consent of five elderly women, and they all refuse. None of them will tell her why she has to keep a house she doesn't want. Instead, she is given a stark warning: don't look for Lizzie Sixpence.Though Caroline has other worries. Someone is watching her; the house's elderly tenants are lying to her; and an old man is hoarding mementoes of her past.Then she finds the bones.And Caroline is left with a choice: keep silent, or betray everything her grandmother stood for. Because there is one final secret to be revealed...

It's hard for Alex having a brother like Ollie, especially when their family isn't normal to start with. It's even harder when their father suddenly disappears leaving Alex to unravel the mystery and deal with Ollie's meltdowns. But something's happening with Ollie. He's making suggestions and decisions-more like a partner than a liability. Together he and Alex must decipher and decode clues; elude and bamboozle their pursuers; outrun and outsmart the kidnappers who'll stop at nothing to prevent their schemes being exposed.