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A blisteringly fast, fresh, funny and hugely entertaining novel of mothers, their children, and one gutsy wild colonial girl who gets caught up in Australia’s last female bushranger’s quest for revenge.
1918: Australia’s last bushranger, Dulcie James, holds up Anna King’s falling-down farmhouse. There’s a scrawny unloved infant on the floor, Anna seems more furious than frightened, and it’s the bushranger who’s left shaken. And the next day, Anna disappears.
Twelve years later, Anna’s daughter, Billie King, is a girl ready to explode. With a missing mother, the rent in arrears and her alcoholic father’s gambling debts to cover, she has no time for school. But when child services threaten to remove Billie from her father, she must decide between continuing her search for her missing mother and keeping what’s left of her family together. If she fails to hold onto her father, she’ll be taken away and placed in a children’s home, but if she doesn’t find her missing mother, who will?
“Fierce, furious, and fearless: Billie King is destined to become an iconic character in Australian fiction. This breathtaking tale of three courageous women had me enthralled from the very first line right through to its thrilling conclusion. A powerful debut.”
Lisa Ireland, The Studio Girls
“Billie King is an outstanding debut! A quick-witted and pacey read, this book was impossible to put down. An intricate tale of revenge, survival and a mother's love, captured within a rich Australian bush setting makes for a truly unique story. This book is a celebration of courage and feminism. Shannon Kelly-White is a fresh new voice in fiction and an author to watch!”
Casey Nott, Five Stages of Grace
“An extraordinary debut from Shannon Kelly-White. This is the very best kind of historical fiction—an utterly unique take on a fascinating era, bursting with fierce, funny characters that will break your heart and put it right back together again. I loved every single word of this brilliant story!”
Kelly Rimmer, The Things We Cannot Say
“Shannon Kelly-White nails it with her debut novel, Billie King. A story about determination and friendship with irrepressible leading ladies who explode onto the page and make it impossible to put down. I was not ready for this book to finish. Billie King is my front runner for book of the year.”
Kerryn Mayne, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
“This blazing bushranger story had me gripped from first page to last as Shannon Kelly-White expertly made my heart pound, break and rejoice. It's wildly original, utterly tender, fiercely feminist and astoundingly good storytelling. If you loved Anna North's Outlawed, this one's for you! I inhaled it. What a triumphant gem of a book. A truly extraordinary debut that will hold its place amongst the very best of Australian historical novels.”
Tess Woods, The Venice Hotel