It’s 1854, and the Ballarat goldfields are a place of dreams and rebellion as Sam, a homeless teenager, is called back to the past and meets the Puddlehams, who run ‘the best little cook shop on the diggings’.
The Puddehams dream of buying a hotel with velvet seats, while others dream of freedom from the British crown, away from the rule of wealthy landowners and corrupt officials.
Once again Jackie French takes a fresh look at the history we thought we knew. Just how close did Australia come to being a republic? And why has so much of the story behind the Eureka Stockade been lost?
About the Author
Jackie French is a full-time writer who lives in Braidwood in the Araluen Valley, via Canberra, NSW. Her book HITLER'S DAUGHTER was awarded the CBC Younger Readers’ Award in 2000 and the WOW! Award in the UK in 2001. Two of her books, MACBETH AND SON and JOSEPHINE WANTS TO DANCE, were made CBC Notable Books in 2007.
