Becoming Billy Dare
Becoming Billy Dare| 1896 – 1899
The Children of the Wind Series | Book II
Paddy Delaney survives the terrors of shipwreck but can he make a life for himself in a strange new land? On the road with a travelling circus, on the run with a wild child, and sleeping rough on the mean streets of Melbourne, Paddy learns to live by his wits. Each adventure brings him closer to discovering his true gift.
Character, choice and destiny intertwine in this richly detailed historical novel.
From the cloisters of an Irish seminary to the drama of the Australian theatre scene, from the shearer’s strike to larrikin street battles, Billy Dare’s story is enmeshed with the birth of a nation. The 1890s was the era of the famous bush poet Henry Lawson and Henry Parkes, father of Australian federation, a decade that celebrated the awakening of Australia’s national identity. Alone in a foreign land Paddy Delaney reinvents himself as Billy Dare while around him Australia invents itself as a new nation.
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Reviews
This is a great story, beautifully written by Kirsty Murray, who tells it through the eyes of a child… This is a novel but you could easily believe Paddy Delaney existed in Australia’s pioneering days such is the strength of the story telling. Do not leave it just for the kids to read – grab it before they do!
Weekly Times
I have been awaiting this sequel to “Bridie’s Fire” and I have not been disappointed… My heart poured out to Paddy, and I felt his despair, loneliness and happiness through the book.’
Reading Time Magazine
I really loved “Becoming Billy Dare”. These books just keep getting better.
Ruby Meredith Year 10
Behind The Book: Becoming Billy Dare
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