Friday 16 January 2009

Kotba Maltin: There is always a But!

There is always a but; October 2008 by Frank Ciarlò

Most people have dreams that can be inspired by many things, a piece of music, a film etc which they sometimes set out to achieve. For a young boy his dream was awakened by a routine biology lesson at school.

Tom was the only son of an impoverished family, imbedded with conservative ideals and strong traditional values dictated upon him from a small provincial community, an environment in which the young boy never fitted in. His dream awakened visions of a place, far removed from the confinement and restrictions to his ideals and personality and completely opposite to that in which he was born into. A chance meeting with an older woman from Australia, sets an adolescent Tom on a journey, he had been wishing for, for years.

Australia is everything that Tom had imagined it to be plus a lot more. Sydney during the early 80's in particular, with its climate, liberal attitudes and sexual liberation both stuns and excites, and Tom soon realizes this is where he belongs. Tom meets many people and makes some unexpected friends including the gay brother of his fiancée Maria. When his childhood best friend visits, to attend Tom's wedding, his world is complete but comes crashing down, when shortly afterwards his beloved wife dies during childbirth.

Surrounded by the people he loves and together with his daughter Lola, Tom finds the strength to continue and achieve the dream that had been his inspiration since childhood until he can finally call Australia home.

The book can be purchased from: http://www.millermalta.com/miller/home.aspx
Cover photo: Daniel Mercieca

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