Great Australian Outback School Stories – Bill Marsh
If your teacher commuted to school in a plane; if you had to watch out for rogue bulls rather than traffic; if your daily pick-up was done by a horse – you probably went to an outback school.
This collection of more than sixty stories, gathered by Bill ′Swampy′ Marsh in his travels across Australia, perfectly captures the experience of life growing up in the outback. Whether you loved school or not, these stories will bring a smile to your face and maybe even a tear to your eye, as students and teachers alike share their yarns and memories of a time gone by.
…this little kid, he spun around at me and he snapped, ′Piss off, Miss.′
Of course, I immediately replied with, ′Excuse me. In this school we always use our best manners when we talk to teachers and adults. So what should we say, then?′
And this little kid, well, he looked up at me all sheepish and he said, ′Well then, Miss, piss off, PLEASE.′
Hours after agreeing to marry How Kum, Vanita is murdered while asleep in her fiance’s arms. More killings follow and How Kum is soon embroiled in the police investigation, only to find himself dealing with an unlikely brigade of self-proclaimed experts, including his drunken Uncle Oscar with his underworld links, the unlikely double-act of an American psycho-sexual healer and his matronly psychic sidekick, and a Hindu holy man…
On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favours sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter’s life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.
A haunting novel about a mother and son and the emotional consequences of leaving home
Letters from Thailand is the story of Tan Suang U, a young man who leaves China to make his fortune in Thailand at the close of World War II, and ends up marrying, raising a family, and operating a successful business. The novel unfolds through his letters to his beloved mother in China.
Memories and Such 