BOOK CLUB
Mary-Anne’s always been a history buff
and when asked to reminisce on her
childhood, one thing stands out.
“I remember spending hours watching
The Sullivans and MAS*H, and my
mother telling me about my grandfather
- who was a Gallipoli soldier – and
three of my uncles who also fought in
World War II,” she says.
Inspired by her family’s bravery and
resilience, Mary-Anne quit her marketing
job to become an author. But the mum
of two sons – Jack, 12, and Jimmy, 14 –
was so busy shuttling the boys to rugby
training and piano lessons that she’d be
brainstorming various plot arcs and
characters at ungodly hours – then
texting them to her dog!
“It sounds silly, but I have my number
saved in my phone under the name of
my dog Saxon. So every time I think of
something creative that would work
well in the novel I’m writing, I get my
War Flower by Mary-Anne O’Connor,
RRP $29.99, HarlequinElenaRichardson
embodies suburba
perfection. But her
carefully ordered
life becomes
conflicted when
she rents a house
to artist and single
mum Mia Warren,
whose dislike of
rules fills Elena
with suspicion.
Uncovering the sec
she unintentionally unravels her own
family’s idyllic life.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng,
RRP$29.99, HachetteThrow
great party
r the grandkids
th DIY decor,
kes and fun
uff. With
emes from
rates to teddy
ears’ picnics,
ou’ll be the life
f any party.
Let s artyby artine Lleonart,
RRP$32.99, Hardie Grant4 From choosing your
theme to the food that
even the mums and dads
will enjoy, this book gives
step-by-step hints on
planning and surviving
little kids’ birthday
parties. Authors Samuel
Rice and Cissy Azar – pro
party planners – will guide you
through hosting a stress-free event.
The Ultimate Party Book for Children
by Samuel Rice and Cissy Azar,
RRP $24.99, New Hollandphone out and text Saxon so I can
remember,” she says with a laugh.
“People think I’m crazy when I tell
them, but it’s a great strategy!”After the success of her first two books,
Gallipoli Street and Worth Fighting For,
the now-bestselling Australian author
has released War Flower.
“ War Flower was a joy to write,” she
says. “It’s the story of twins who both
fall in love with men who are sent to
fight in the Vietnam War. When the
men come home from war, they struggle
to adapt to normal life again. I wanted
to tell the tale of these two women
because it isn’t just soldiers who go to
war; everybody who loves them goes,
too. The underpinning question it asks
is whether love will ever be enough.”While War Flower is not based around
her family’s experience of war, the
protagonist mirrors someone very close
to Mary-Anne’s heart – her brother.
“Losing Matthew in a tragic accident
all those years ago still breaks my heart
every day. One character is so much
like him that there were a few chapters
I couldn’t get through without tears. It
was challenging to put my real-life
tragedy into the book.”Although often overcome with emotions
when writing War Flower, she says
memories of Matthew helped her heal.
“It was quite a cathartic process,”
Mary-Anne says. “I can only hope that
the underlying messages in the novel
will stay with readers long after they
finish the book.”‘People think
I’m crazy’
Putting her own heartbreak into her latest novel
helped MARY-ANNE O’CONNOR, 49, find peaceEveryone’s
talking about...
n
rcrets of Mia’spast,s
sofessional4
ag
for
wit
ca
st
th
pi
be
yo
o
Let ’s Partyyby Martin2 to TRY
y
dkidsParty
books32