Synopsis:
The Orphan Gunner is a romance between two young Australian women, set in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn is one of the few female pilots in the Air Transport Auxiliary. Her friend Olive enlists in the Womens Auxiliary Air Force. When Evelyn disguises herself as her brother in order to save him from almost certain death as a gunner, the substitution leads to Evelyn's own death, but it also brings out the growing intimacy between the two women. This is a novel that explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness and selfishness of sacrifice.
Ex-patriate Kiwi author Sara Knox has seen her debut novel The Orphan Gunner shortlisted in the SE Asia and Pacific regional finals of the Commonwealth Writer's Prize, a top literary trophy that was won last year by fellow New Zealander Lloyd Jones.
Click here to read an in-depth book review by Nicola Walker (Sydney Morning Herald) |
