A Long Way from Misery

Born in 1926, Jack lived in a different time, but the way he sees it, they were better days. He loved his childhood growing up with his many siblings on a farm called Misery, and retells it with delight.

A Long Way from Misery takes you on a rollicking journey through the Australia of yesteryear with Jack Turner, the larrikin shearer, as he rescues his brother from being drowned by a kangaroo, rides a wild steer through the house, and leaps off a moving train. But these misadventures are nothing compared to his mother wielding a carving knife.

Author Biography

Jack Turner has entertained many friends, family, and acquaintances over his long life with the tales of his younger years. He is a quick-witted larrikin who loves to laugh and make others laugh. Jack was born in Rylstone, New South Wales in 1926, and raised on a farm called Misery. He moved to Queensland in 1956 and lives in Brisbane with his wife of 53 years, his three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A former shearer with no education and a rough and ready upbringing, Jack’s ‘that’ll do me’ attitude has stayed with him throughout his long life and seen him through many a scrape. Hard-working, and with the ingenuity born from being raised in the bush, Jack has built and fixed everything from houses to toys. He has had too many jobs to mention, met too many people to remember, and had too many adventures to record. He has lived an ordinary life full of extraordinary stories. For further insight into Jack’s life and character please visit his blog: www.blackjackturner.weebly.com Jacqui Halpin is the second born of Jack’s three children. As a child she was enthralled by the stories of her father’s early life. His knack for telling a yarn inspired her own love of storytelling. Jacqui is a children’s author whose stories have won prizes in writing competitions and been published in anthologies. She is currently writing a series of junior fiction novels inspired by her father’s adventures growing up. As an experienced writer she was the obvious choice to record Jack’s life but she still feels honoured that he trusted her with his precious memories. Jacqui has recorded and edited A LONG WAY FROM MISERY over many years, but does not regret one minute she has spent working with her dad on ‘the book’. For more information about Jacqui and her writing please visit her website: www.jacquihalpin.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/jacquihalpinwriter