Page 42 - Tropic Magazine Issue 36

TROPIC • BOOKS

Local reads

LITERATURE
Tropic takes a look at some of the new releases
from Far North Queensland writers.

Australian romance
When country music star Adam Brand describes your writing
as ‘sexy’, you’ve got to be doing something right. Cairns author
Mandy Magro has just released her latest romance novel and
it’s certainly going to get some hearts racing. Back to the Country
PNG musings is the story of Indigo, who’s at the height of her musical career
The beautifully illustrated coffee table book, Eda Moresby when everything falls apart and she hits rock bottom.
(“Our Moresby” in local Motu dialect) has been written by Indigo returns to her home in Kuranda to heal, along with her
Kuranda-based John Brooksbank, who spent much of his life love interest, who is also her bodyguard. But is Indigo her
working in Papua New Guinea. His reflections include plenty own worst enemy?
of amusing anecdotes and facts about the endlessly fascinating This is Mandy’s 20th novel. Oh, and it should be mentioned
culture and history of our nearest neighbour. He touches on the that the author is living out her very own romance, recently
country’s nation builders, the gold rush era and even the insipid becoming engaged to long-time partner Des Wiese.
mould in one of the wettest places on earth. Congratulations!

FACEBOOK: Eda Moresby MORE: mandymagro.com

Remote reflections
David Howard was a long-time rural reporter at the ABC and spent the latter
part of his career based in the Far North Queensland office. After honing his
storytelling craft for 50-odd years, he’s written a book of poems, Back Country
Rivers, the second edition of which has just been released. David’s writings reflect
his amazing and often humorous experiences travelling the region over the years
and takes us to some really remote local places. His new poems (and associated
stories) include one about the Johnstone River, a creative use for dud opal mine
shafts, and an unmentionable illness he calls the ‘Queensland Disease’.

MORE: jabirupublishing.com.au

42 • Tropic • Issue 36