Wonder: 175 Years of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria by Sophie Cunningham and Peter Wilmoth

Released: 29 September 2021

Published by: Hardie Grant Books

Genre: Non-fiction, Gardening

Pages: 264

Booktopia | QBD | Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

They sit in the physical and emotional heart of our city, and have done so for 175 years. Most of us have spent time there, and they mean different things to each of us. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne have been a place of calm, a site for reflection, creative inspiration, discovery, romance and even refuge. Anyone who has visited has a story. Now a range of these stories from Victorians from many fields is gathered in the lavish publication Wonder: 175 Years of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Told through conversations with writers Sophie Cunningham and Peter Wilmoth, there are stories of Nick Cave conceiving the first lines of a novel there, of actor and writer Michael Veitch being taught the classics on its lawns, of a marriage that took place just days before COVID-19 began its grim sweep across the world, closing sites such as the Gardens for the first time in history. Boonwurrung Elder Aunty Carolyn Briggs tells stories of Country that reach back through millennia, while Landscape Architect Andrew Laidlaw shares the inspiration for some of the Gardens’ more recent landscapes. Horticulturalist Gemma Cotterell tells us about her work on the Australian Forest Walk; architect Kerstin Thompson reminds us of the secrets the Gardens hold and the way those secrets transform landscape into dreamscape; and botanist Neville Walsh shares his excitement on the discovery of a new species of wattle.

The important matters of plant extinction and climate change (including water usage) are also addressed, reminding the reader of the critical role played by our public gardens in securing the future of the planet through its science, irreplaceable collections and conservation action.

With superb photography by Leigh Henningham, the book is about the people’s gardens, and these stories will resonate with readers who cherish their own experiences there.

Some 'coffee-table' books will sit on the mantelpiece or be discarded among the ornaments, scented candles and long-lost scented candles. Others, like Wonder draw you into their pages with personal stories that celebrate the beauty of nature and importance of green spaces in our everyday lives. This is a collection which specifically focuses on the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, but also reaches further in exploring what it means to look up at the trees, breathe in the fresh air and get lost among the paths of shrubs and flowerbeds to find your own hidden oasis. Read on below for my interview with one of the authors, Sophie Cunningham!

Author Interview Sophie Cunningham

One of the really interesting elements of this book is told as exploring "secrets the Gardens hold and the way those secrets transform landscape into dreamscape". What does this mean to you?

I love the way that public spaces can have private and personal meanings. As a child I always loved playing in gardens that I imagined to be jungles, and places of adventure. One of my favourite books was 'The Secret Garden'. But the point is, I suppose, that most people feel like that. It was lovely to be able to talk to people about their emotional responses to the RBGV.

What are some of your own favourite memories and experiences in the gardens?

I really love walking around the bottom of the gardens, where you can find traces of the Yarra's original path, and walk around the lakes that were once part of the wetlands in the area. There are some very special river red gum down there as well. The lion head tree is probably my favourite in the gardens. I also love the Oaks that have been planted throughout Melbourne's Botanic Gardens. Sitting under them is good for the soul.

How did the writing process for this book differ from some of your other works?

The book was interview led - it gives voice to other people's voices and experiences. I did write a book about Cyclone Tracy which also took this approach. I enjoy working this way. Other people's stories always strike me as more interesting than my own.

In collating these stories, was there one in particular which especially resonated with you?

To be honest I have trouble picking a favourite. I loved hearing from Senior Conservation Botanist Neville Walsh - I’m particularly interested in the research and conservation work that the RBGV does. Horticulturalist Gemma Cotterell is doing great things with the Australian Forest Walk. I had a very nice time hanging out with the Manager of Arboriculture, Charlie Carroll, and talking about trees. My interview with Dean Stewart, about the pre-white settlement life of the RBGV landscape, and setting up the Aboriginal Heritage Walks in 1998 were fascinating. Stewart is a great story teller and historian.

How do you feel that being immersed in nature through both the wilderness and in structured landscapes such as botanic gardens can improve and add value to our everyday lives?

I think that having access to natural spaces - designed or not - is as essential to us as breathing. (Indeed, if you want to draw a long bow - trees help us breathe). 

After bringing this book together, what would be your top recommendations of sites to see for people visiting for the first time?

I’m not sure I can or should make recommendations - everyone will be looking for a different private moment, to get back to your first question. As Den Fisher said when I interviewed Dennis Fisher, who has led Aboriginal heritage walks for more than ten years, picking a favourite section of the gardens would be like picking a favourite niece or nephew. Impossible!

 

What would be the top three things you've opened your eyes to after penning these experiences and stories of the Gardens?

1. The extraordinary leadership work of the RGBV particularly with the development of its Landscape Succession Plan, and founding of the Climate Change Alliance

2. The work of the Victorian Conservation Seedbank

3. Being allowed to see some of the early collections that are held by the RGBV, which includes a banksia collected by Joseph Banks

About the author

Sophie Cunningham AM is the author of six books, including City of Trees – Essays on life, death and the need for a forest; Warning – The story of Cyclone Tracy; Melbourne; Bird; and Geography. She is also editor of the collection Fire, Flood, Plague: Australian writers respond to 2020. Sophie’s former roles include as a book publisher and editor, chair of the Literature Board of the Australia Council, editor of the literary journal Meanjin, and co-founder of The Stella Prize celebrating women’s writing. She is now an adjunct professor at RMIT University’s non/fiction Lab. In 2019, Sophie was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to literature.

Author Interview: Talking Sense Audiobook - Living with sensory changes and dementia by Agnes Houston and Julie Christie

Talking Sense: Living With Sensory Changes and Dementia by Agnes Houston with Julie Christie

Released: 19th September 2020
Published by: Dementia Centre

**Download a free copy of the book here!**

Dementia Centre | Hard copy book | More on Agnes Houston

Talking Sense: Living with sensory changes and dementia, written by Agnes Houston MBE with Dr Julie Christie, is a popular print and online resource and now for the first time will be available as an audio book. This is one of the first audio books in the world to use dementia-friendly audio to ensure it is readily accessible for people living with dementia, along with carers and supporters. “We’ve created this new audiobook version of Talking Sense to support people who are more comfortable with auditory learning – particularly people with dementia who may find it difficult to read or focus on words on a page.” A/Prof Cunningham said. The audio book provides an opportunity for people with dementia to engage with helpful information and practical advice in a format which is especially tailored for their needs. Talking Sense is the culmination of more than a decade of research by Agnes Houston after she was diagnosed with younger onset dementia in 2006. She found that not only was there little support for continued independence, but what support there was had virtually no awareness of the common experience of sensory change. “It was as if I had been given a diagnosis, was assessed cognitively, medication monitored and left to my own devices,” Ms Houston said. “Instead, I chose to go on a quest for knowledge to understand what was happening to me. Surely, I was not the only one having these sensory changes?” Ms Houston is known internationally as an advocate for people living with dementia and in 2016, she completed a Churchill Fellowship to continue her learning about the often-overlooked issue of sensory challenges.

Last month I had the opportunity to attend HammondCare's international dementia conference, showcasing a range of speakers and events surrounding topics on residential care design, different approaches to caring for people living with dementia and emerging research/educational resources being published in the area. With a rise in Australia's ageing population and the need for increased services and resources specifically directed at understanding dementia and how it affects people's lives, I believe that books like Talking Sense are more important than ever to raise awareness on this important issue. More information can be found on the Dementia Centre's Knowledge Hub here. 

Author Interview

How did the idea for writing Talking Sense first come about? Were there specific gaps in current literature and resources for carers and people living with dementia which acted as a key influence?

Agnes: I was diagnosed with younger onset dementia of the Alzheimer’s type in 2006.  My care afterwards was in the hands of the old age psychiatry service.  It consisted of a dementia ‘early onset’ nurse to monitor my medication and my cognitive function. I found it to be a negative experience, which was all about loss.  There was no attention paid to my sensory challenges, no rehabilitation programme and no counselling.  I felt as if my care was out of my hands. I consulted my optician who knew little about dementia.  My GP team knew little about the sensory challenges associated with dementia.  My psychiatrist made time to talk and listened to my experiences but I felt that little practical help was given to me. Something was missing.  It was as if I had been given a diagnosis, was assessed cognitively, medication monitored and left to my own devices.  Instead, I chose to go on a quest for knowledge to understand what was happening to me.  Surely, I was not the only one having these sensory changes.  This prompted me to ask other people living with dementia about their experiences. As a result, I produced in 2015 a booklet ‘Dementia and Sensory Challenges’ (funded by the Life Changes Trust in Scotland.  In 2016, I obtained a Churchill Fellowship to travel to other countries to learn more.  My findings confirmed the need for this handbook, which we hope will be a starting place for others to discover information on sensory challenges. Among other things, it shows who to go to for help, where support organisations can be located and how to access services and support.

What was the process for coming up with the idea of creating the work as an audiobook?

Julie: It was always our intention to have an audiobook. Talking Sense at its heart is about accessible information. Many of the people interested in this area are living with visual changes and so an audiobook is essential.

Agnes: As I previously was an army nurse, I was assessed for support by Scottish War Blind, who have been fantastic.Through their support I have learnt many skills for coping with sight challenges and have discovered how important audio versions are to ensure this information can be accessed by as many people as possible – friends supported by Scottish War Blind said is was “Always a hassle having to ask people to read it out to me”.

Through your research for the book in relation to dementia symptoms, what were some of the most surprising findings that general readers may not have expected?

Agnes: I was so surprised to discover that there isn’t a specialism and that people are expected to live with often severe changes without the support they might otherwise get with another health problem. You can get a test for hyperacusis, but it wasn’t being routinely offered. You need to ask for it – “the uncomfortable loudness test”. I was also surprised at the numbers of people having sensory challenges, which was higher than I ever anticipated and that these sensory challenges were causing them the most effect of their lives, rather than the memory problems.

Julie: From my perspective, as a nurse and a social worker, it was looking at the experience of sensory changes from the perspective of day to day impact. The ways in which sensory changes make you feel, for example, as a result of losing confidence in going out, the things you miss out on through this, the conversations you can’t take part in. Helping people to regain confidence or find new ways to self manage problems has been very rewarding.

How did you discover that sensory changes were a significant impairment associated with dementia?

Agnes: Many people who receive a diagnosis of dementia are aware that they may experience memory problems. But they are often surprised when they begin to encounter ‘unexplained’ sensory changes. I began having problems seeing things and went to my optician.  My optician said that my eyesight was perfect, but my brain was having problems processing what my eyes were seeing – something known as ‘brain blindness’.

In your opinion, what are some improvements that can be made in relation to community awareness about dementia, and particularly surrounding young onset dementia?

Agnes: Design, in my opinion. What is missing when people talk about improvements is the design – thinking about sensory changes.  You must speak to people with dementia. Signage – too much, the wrong information, too many words.

Julie: My own research is focused on the resilience of people living with dementia. Helping people to stay connected, have more control over their circumstances and have the opportunity to make sense of their lives all help to promote resilience and a sense of well-being. Whether this is something practical, such as, better design and way finding support, or making time to talk to people about their lives and what they want.  There is a lot we can do.

What are some of your top pieces of advice for aged care workers to better care for residents who are living with dementia? Are there differing challenges to watch out for compared to at-home carers?

Agnes: Think problem, think sensory, think solution. Read the book! It’s all in there. Just ask the person living with dementia. Be a detective.

Julie: Caring is a skilled job no matter the setting. Good care is built on relationships. This involves taking the time to get to know the person and working at their pace. Realising the importance of individuality, of everyday personal moments and routines. It is often the small things we do that are the most important. Ensuring we take the senses into account is an essential part of this.

Could you provide us with a glimpse of any other current research projects you're working on in this space?

Agnes: I am currently looking at research ethics regarding people with dementia. I am part of a panel, Dementia Enquirers, which has set Gold Standards to help people living with dementia to choose which research projects to be involved with. 

Julie: I’m continuing to work in the resilience space focusing on how care staff can use resilience in their day to day work with people living with dementia. Agnes and I are both advocates of learning about life through our shared experiences and resilience is often a subject we discuss. I admire her greatly for bringing this work to life for so many people.

About the authors

Agnes Houston MBE is a dementia activist who has always put others first. She was diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2006 at the age of 57. She has campaigned for best practice and improving the lives of people with dementia (especially those experiencing sensory issues) in Scotland and received a lifetime achievement award from Alzheimer Scotland in 2013. Agnes is former Chair of the Scottish Dementia Working Group and currently Vice Chair of the European Dementia Working Group and a board member of Dementia Alliance International. In 2015 Agnes was awarded an MBE and in 2016 was awarded a Churchill Fellow.

Dr Julie Christie is Service Manager - International at the Dementia Centre, HammondCare, based in the UK. Dr. Christie is a visiting Research Fellow with the University of Edinburgh and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of New South Wales with a focus on resilience, citizenship, and co-production.  She is a reviewer for the Journal of Research in Nursing, Ageing and Society and Dementia: The International Journal of Research and Practice. Dr Christie is currently the lead for the  Dementia Dog Programme evaluation and the Life Changes Trust funded Dementia Friendly Communities Programme, both in Scotland. She oversees the work of Dementia Support UK: Connect, Consult HammondCare’s UK consultancy service for care homes.  

Review: Reasonable Doubt by Dr Xanthé Mallett

Reasonable Doubt by Dr Xanthe Mallett

Released: 28th September 2020

Published by: Pan Macmillan

Genre: Non-fiction

Source: Publisher

Pages: 272

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads | Booktopia | Publisher

We all put our faith in the criminal justice system. We trust the professionals: the police, the lawyers, the judges, the expert witnesses. But what happens when the process lets us down and the wrong person ends up in jail?

Henry Keogh spent almost twenty years locked away for a murder that never even happened. Khalid Baker was imprisoned for the death of a man his best friend has openly admitted to causing. And the exposure of 'Lawyer X' Nicola Gobbo's double-dealing could lead to some of Australia's most notorious convictions being overturned. Forensic scientist Xanthé Mallett is used to dealing with the darker side of humanity.

Now she's turning her skills and insight to miscarriages of justice and cases of Australians who have been wrongfully convicted. Exposing false confessions, polices biases, misplaced evidence and dodgy science, Reasonable Doubt is an expert's account of the murky underbelly of our justice system - and the way it affects us all.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Perfect for true crime fans, Reasonable Doubt offers a harrowing and well-researched glimpse into the criminal justice process and what can happen when the wrong person pays the price. Detailing six cases of wrongful convictions, Mallett's accounts offer deep yet objective insight into how failings in how evidence is inspected and even investigators' own biases can play out with consequences that reach far beyond the crime itself. What makes this book so readable is that Mallett sets out her perspective in a way that is measured and critiques the outcomes in each of the cases with reference to the view that prosecutors should 'fight hard, but fight fair'. The additional information on forensic techniques and methods of analysis used in the cases was particularly eye-opening for those interested in the science and psychology behind the investigation process.

It also accounts for the vast majority of cases which go to trial and are run successfully - this balanced perspective adds to the credibility of the work as a whole and though clearly not a 'joyful' read, it is a thought-provoking one. Probing techniques such as guilt-testing and even failings to consider all possible routes of evidence and scenarios which could have set the innocent free, it's interesting, and somewhat disconcerting, to think that the scales of justice can be impacted on even the smallest change in how a crime and its suspects are presented.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're like me and enjoyed books such as The Secret Barrister, In Your Defence, or are already an established true-crime fan not one to shy away from a hard look at some of Australia's harrowing criminal cases, Reasonable Doubt is for you. This book offers what is a unique and fascinating perspective on perhaps the most fundamental tenet of our justice system which deserves greater scrutiny, that Mallett has done well in adding to with her educated prose. 

Author Interview: The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman

The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman

Released: 2nd July 2020
Published by: Scribe Publications

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Publisher

Pages: 368

Scribe | Author website | Booktopia | QBD

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, here is a radical examination of the bird way of being and of recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds — how they live and how they think. ‘There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.’ This is one scientist’s pithy distinction between mammal brains and bird brains: two ways to make a highly intelligent mind. But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and, lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviours.

What they are finding is upending the traditional view of how birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, and survive. They’re also revealing not only the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, and disturbing abilities we once considered uniquely our own — deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, and infanticide — but also ingenious communication between species, cooperation, collaboration, altruism, culture, and play.

Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, from the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia and the remote woodlands of northern Japan, to the rolling hills of lower Austria and the islands of Alaska’s Kachemak Bay, Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect — in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behaviour — birds vary. It’s what we love about them.

As E.O. Wilson once said, when you have seen one bird, you have not seen them all.

Jennifer Ackerman's passion for her subject shines through in this absolute delight of a book. Insightful and a joy to read, The Bird Way provides inspiration to look up and around at these creatures which we have so much to learn from!

Author Interview with Jennifer Ackerman

Congratulations on publishing The Bird Way! How did the writing experience for this book compare to your others such as Chance in the House of Fate, The Genius of Birds and Birds by the Shore?

Thank you! Working on The Bird Way was pure joy. For all three of my bird-related books, I spent a great deal of time in the field with ornithologists and other bird researchers, which is what I really love to do. Some of my books, such as Chance in the House of Fate and Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream (SSEDD), involved a lot of deep and difficult research on molecular biology and human biology, reading papers and talking with scientists about the genetic and cellular mechanisms we share with other organisms or the way the body works. Then my task was to try to translate the hard science into a lively and accessible narrative about the natural history of inheritance (Chance) or what’s going on in the body over the course of a 24-hour day (SSEDD). For The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, too, I read numerous papers, but I also traveled around the world to explore bird intelligence and behavior with experts at their field study sites and to meet their birds. I loved every minute of these experiences, especially in Australia.

What are three things you wish people knew more about bird watching?

The birds in your backyard or local park are worth watching, especially for their behavior. There’s no such thing as a boring bird! 

It’s worth putting in the time to learn birding by ear.  I’ve never been very good at identifying birds by their calls, but it’s an invaluable skill and enriches birdwatching enormously. I love to go out in the field with people who are really good at this.

Once you start, you’ll never want to stop.  Birdwatching reminds you that you’re part of a world that’s big and beautiful and wildly diverse. 

Is there a particular moment in your expeditions so far which defined what you love about it?

Stumbling on a male Superb Lyrebird performing on his mound in the Toolangi rainforest. I was with my friend Andrew Skeoch, a superb wildlife sound recording artist, looking for the lyrebirds.  We had slogged up a very wet trail and seen signs of the birds everywhere, scratchings in the soil, and we could hear them from a great distance. But they seemed to be always just out of sight. Finally, late in the day, on the way back down through the forest, we heard one burst into glorious song just up the bank from the trail. It was a magnificent, resonant, booming voice, and Andrew stood next to me whispering the names of all the birds of the forest that the lyrebird was imitating. (Later, I’d learn how the lyrebird actually uses its mimicry to lie to other birds!) The lyrebird flashed its spectacular lyre-shaped tail feathers, and then it was gone. Utterly magical.

Without giving too much away, is there a favourite region or particular species that fascinated you the most while writing The Bird Way?

It’s really hard to pick just one. Meeting the Kea Parrots of New Zealand was a delight. I first met them in an aviary in Austria, the world’s biggest lab for studying Kea. I was warned to take off all of my jewelry, my watch, my barrettes, etc. before I went into their aviary because the birds are so inquisitive, they’ll explore everything they can get their beaks on. I fell in love with them almost immediately. They are incredibly bold, curious, smart, and just downright adorable. In their native New Zealand, they’re called “Clowns of the Mountains” because they’re so cheeky, funny, and playful. And it’s their use of play that I found particularly intriguing. But I won’t give that away here.

How do you think learning more about bird behaviours can help us become better people?

In so many ways. For one thing, focusing on a form of life other than our own helps us understand that we’re not unique in the ways we once thought we were. We share intelligence, behaviours, emotions, and consciousness with birds and other animals. Also, birds model fascinating behaviors. Species of all kinds cooperate and collaborate in everything from hunting, courting, and migrating, to raising and defending their young, sometimes even across species lines. Invariably, it boosts their success. Birds demonstrate the benefits of living in diverse social groups and working together to solve problems. They show us how to be flexible and adapt—and even the great benefits of play.

What has been your career highlight so far?

Researching and writing bird books!

What do you think still needs to be discovered about the bird world and how to conserve endangered species?

We have much to learn. For so many threatened, rare, or elusive bird species, there’s a scarcity of biological information about breeding habits, movement, and ecology, information needed to assess the status of bird populations and to manage their conservation effectively.  The Australian researchers I spoke with--to a person--all lamented the paucity of research, the critical knowledge gaps about threatened and endangered species that prevent good management.  One of the brilliant researchers addressing this issue is Rob Heinsohn, a conservation biologist at Australian National Univeristy.  

Rob runs a research program called the Difficult Bird Research Group (DBRG) dedicated to studying Australia’s most endangered birds and understanding their ecology and conservation. Rob says that these birds, such as the Orange-billed Parrot, the Swift Parrot, the Regent Honeyeater, the Superb Parrot, the Forty-spotted Pardalote, and several others, often fall into the “too hard basket” because they’re difficult to find, often occurring in remote, wild, and rugged terrain, and highly mobile, moving around a lot.  The DBRG conducts research aimed at understanding these species and pulling them back from the ‘brink’ of extinction.

Could you give us a sneak peek at what you're working on next?

Another bird book, this one focused on a particular bird family that’s ubiquitous and beloved around the world.  That’s all I’ll say for now!

About the author

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science, nature, and human biology for almost three decades. Her most recent books include Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: a day in the life of your body; Ah-Choo: the uncommon life of the common cold; Chance in the House of Fate: a natural history of heredity; The Genius of Birds; and Birds by the Shore. A contributor to Scientific American, National Geographic, The New York Times, and many other publications, Ackerman is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Author Interview: When The Smoke Clears by Chrissy Guinery - Surviving the Australian bushfires

When The Smoke Clears by Chrissy Guinery 

Released: 20 May 2020

Published by: Fifty Days Press

Genre: Non-fiction

Pages: 205

Fifty Days Press | Koorong | Booktopia

The whole world held its breath as 2020 dawned and Australia was on fire. The final toll was breathtaking: 18 million hectares burned, a billion animals killed, 2,800 homes destroyed.

Even more tragic-the loss of 33 people in the fires. In When The Smoke Clears, fire survivor and author Chrissy Guinery presents the human face behind these figures, through first-hand accounts of the day to day struggle to breathe, to believe, to love-under a pall of smoke and in the path of fire. It's the story of survival that represents the experience of thousands of Australians from the 2019-20 bushfire season, right through to the impact of the coronavirus. And it also begins to answer the question-how do you live, laugh and hope again after your family has been threatened, homes lost, children terrified and the countryside blackened.

When The Smoke Clears is essential reading for anyone in the world who grieved for Australia as it burned, and for anyone at anytime who is wondering where they will find the strength to go on.

When The Smoke Clears is an important release which provides an insightful and raw insight into the experiences of people living on the south coast of NSW who experienced the devastating bushfires last year. Click the link below to hear from Chrissy Guinery, Bateman’s bay Rural Fire Service Captain Ian Aitken and Eurobadalla Shire Mayor, Liz Innes for their take on this book:

Author Interview with Chrissy Guinery

Firstly, congratulations on publishing this book, it is such an important account of the bushfires which presents what happened in such a deeply personal and moving way. What were some of the biggest challenges you came across in writing it?

Time and Tears.

TIME: There was a sense of urgency to get the book out while the topic was 'hot'. I knew the fire victims needed it as a tool to help heal, and others needed it to discover the impact their assistance is having on us all.

TEARS: Lots of tears - some sad tears as I revisited painful, scary and uncertain days, and some happy tears as I recalled all the love and care showered upon my daughter and our community after losing 501 homes to the fire.

Faith is a strong underpinning source of strength that comes through many of the accounts in this book, including your own. How has that shaped the approach you took to both bringing these stories together and having the resilience to keep going even as you saw families around you lose their homes?

Often when you go through trauma, it feels like your world is falling apart so you look for something solid and stable, for me, that's my faith in God. Prayers play a major role in healing through stress, trauma and facing the unknown day after day.

Faith helped us remember we were not alone, and we didn't have to get through it all in our own strength. Leaning on God brought us hope as we lived under a sky of thick smoke for more than 2 months. Hope is what we all needed most, as daily we didn't know if we were going to lose more homes and more lives.  

How did the writing process for 'When The Smoke Clears' differ from your other books 'Room to Breathe' and 'Falling Up Stairs'?

I am an eclectic person, so the books I write are all very different. Falling Up Stairs was lots of zany fun, all about living in a van travelling Australia. Room To Breathe was inspired to help people find a reason to shine after hearing about the staggering suicide statistics of our nation. When The Smoke Clears is a healing journey, it was cathartic and I knew it was to become an essential Australian resource written from the harrowing two months inside the 2019/2020 fires.

Though my books are all different 'flavours', they are all similar in that they are raw and real, and all of them are designed to bring hope and healing.

Was there a particular moment or quote from this book which hold particular significance for you?

There are a few, but I guess the most impacting was an incident the day after my six-year-old grandson's home had burnt down, leaving the family with nothing. I took him some clothes and a toy from his cousin, a little red motor bike. Still in shock, he sat on my knee and played with the toy motor bike for 20 minutes or more before looking up into my eyes and saying, 'I have one toy now, Granny.'

That moment will remain with me forever.  

What is the main message you hope readers will be able to take from 'When the Smoke Clears'?

Together we win. That's one of my mantras. It takes community to rise, to heal and be able to move forward. By linking arms with others, reaching out to help and to comfort, we can get through anything. We were never meant to do life alone.

Do you have any tips on how we can continue to support families and communities that have been devastated by the fires and are still recovering?

Absolutely. Give and Pray.

GIVE: It's a small word with huge impact. Give your time to listen to their stories; validate them. Give your money - either by visiting the small businesses that have struggled since December last year or by sowing into the families themselves.

PRAY: Pray for peace, strength, resilience and hope for families, communities & towns left struggling to rebuild from ruins. 

About the author

Chrissy Guinery is all about empowering others. As a successful author and motivational speaker, Chrissy is renowned for her infectious joy, passionate faith and her desire to see others rise to fulfil their purpose and potential. To achieve this, she has been sharing her life secrets for more than 20 years in a down-to-earth relatable style, leaving people with essential tools for pursuing a more effective and fulfilling life. She is the author of When The Smoke Clears (2020), Falling Up Stairs (2016) and Room to Breathe (2018).