Four Fires

The title of this novel refers to the four fires of passion, religion, warfare and fire itself, which the author considers have moulded the Australian people more than any others. This shaping of the Australian national character is explored through the story of a small-town family, the Maloneys. They are a fifth-generation Australian family of Irish Catholic descent who are struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. There is a strong mother, a father broken by war, three boys and two girls, one of whom has an illegitimate daughter. Each of their lives is changed forever by the four fires. Includes author's note, and maps. Author's first novel, 'The Power of One', has sold around three million copies worldwide, and is the largest-selling book by a living Australian author within Australia. A number of his other books have won the APA Who Weekly Reader's Choice Award: 'Tommo and Hawk' (in 1998), 'Jessica' (both 1999 and 2000), and 'Smoky Joe's Cafe' (2001).Courtenay, Bryce is the author of 'Four Fires' with ISBN 9780670910625 and ISBN 0670910627.