{"product_id":"9780733649325","title":"Southern Aurora","description":"Author: Mark Brandi\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780733649325\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Hachette Australia\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 28 Jun 2023\u003cbr\u003ePages: 288 \u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe always listen out for the train when we're down in the cutting because sometimes they come quicker than you expect. There aren't as many trains as there used to be. Mostly just the freight ones, like the one that nearly killed us on the bus . . . The best train is the\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e Southern Aurora\u003ci\u003e. It goes all the way from Melbourne to Sydney, and from Sydney to Melbourne. It stops in Mittigunda because we're pretty much exactly halfway between.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJimmy is a kid growing up fast on the poorest street in town. He tries to do everything right and look out for his mum and his younger brother. His older brother is in jail, so it's up to Jimmy to hold things together. But small-town life is unforgiving if you're from the other side of the tracks.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf only his mum didn't drink so much.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf only he could win the school billycart race.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf only his best friend understood.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf only he could stop his mum's boyfriend from getting angry.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf only he was there.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eJimmy soon learns that even when you get things right, everything can still go wrong.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'If you only read one Australian fiction book this year, let it be this one' \u003cb\u003eSamuel Johnson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Evocative and authentic, Brandi has created a world filled with equal parts hope and dread. \u003ci\u003eSouthern Aurora\u003c\/i\u003e is a special book' \u003cb\u003eSarah Bailey\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Another quietly riveting, emotionally potent novel from Mark Brandi' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'The master of small-town dread' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCanberra Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Heart-wrenching' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Australian Women's Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Another page-turner'\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eWho Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Mark Brandi has delivered a protagonist that could well become one of Australia's classic characters. There's a Mark Twain innocence and inner wisdom to Jimmy, one far beyond most adults' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWeekend Australian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Brandi's poignant and deceptively uncomplicated tale pulses with foreboding - but also hope' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCourier Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Unforgettable and unsurpassable . . . Brandi's observations are breathtakingly original and his insights are astute. \u003ci\u003eSouthern Aurora \u003c\/i\u003etackles issues with a purity that's as rare as it is precious'\u003cb\u003e Better Reading\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'A beautiful and deeply affecting book . . . Mark Brandi proves himself a master raconteur, in a work characterised by gentle humour, perceptiveness and kindness' \u003cb\u003eLiving Arts Canberra\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'A powerful and deeply moving portrayal of a sensitive, vulnerable boy battling against the odds for a happy life' \u003cb\u003eBrisbane Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Moving and well-crafted' \u003cb\u003eAU Review\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46465988231326,"sku":"ADS-9780733649325","price":32.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9780733649325.jpg?v=1770011000","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9780733649325","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}