What's Inside?
A signed book - 'Iluka’ by Cassie Stroud.
A candle - Taking inspiration from the setting of the novel, this Native Tea Tree fragrance embodies the scent of the bush.
An alcoholic beverage - Five Barrel Brewing Hard Lemonade - Made in the Shoalhaven Region where the book is set, this refreshing beverage combines zesty fresh lemon with just the right amount of sweetness.
or a non-alcoholic beverage - Bobby Lemon - A zesty, refreshing sparkling lemon beverage that takes inspiration from the refreshing coastal setting of the novel. Best enjoyed chilled straight from the can.
A treat - Valley Seed Rosemary Raisin & Pecan Crisps - A delicious artisan cracker perfectly paired with blue cheese or a creamy brie. Settle in and enjoy the story with a delicious treat and beverage.
About the book...
After their grandfather's death, siblings Helen, Sylvie and Brendan, and Helen's daughter, film student Tig, are gathered together at Iluka, a typical fibro beach house in a small town on the south coast. Iluka is the house they grew up in when their troubled mother ran away to the bright lights of the city, leaving their grandparents to raise them.
As they slowly clear the house for sale and relive various memories, they find a bundle of letters addressed to each of them from their missing mother, Marguerite, that were sent long after they'd been told she died.
Their world shifts on its axis, as the siblings begin to question everything they have been told. Why did their grandmother hide these letters? Was their grandfather complicit? And could the mother they thought they had lost still be alive?
Viewed through the unsparing eye of Tig's camera, we watch a family first implode then reform around a new reality, a reality that brings with it profound change in the way they view themselves and each other.
About the author...
Cassie Stroud is a writer, editor and bookseller. She lives in a 1950s house on Sydney's north shore with her husband, son and their Siamese cat. Iluka is her first novel.
