This is what happened the year I met my other mother. In 1965, Robin, unmarried and pregnant, comes to Melbourne to give birth and give her baby up for adoption, then returns to Perth to resume her life having never seen her baby. After 10 days alone, the baby is taken home, named Susannah, and made part of a wonderful family that loves her. The adoption laws at the time guarantee that there can be no contact between birth mother and child. Ever. In 1984, the law is changed and sealed files can be opened. In 1989 Robin tries to make contact with Susannah who is now the same age as Robin was when she had her. Susannah replies to Robin in a letter, declining contact. In 2014, Susannah, at the same age Robin was when she wrote her first letter, writes Robin a different letter. The heartlines open. After nearly 50 years apart, a mother and daughter are reunited. But the path to a relationship is not smooth. Very few adoption reunions result in meaningful, long-term reconnection. The fragile relationships stumble and fall under the weight of years of repressed anger, hurt, grief and loss, different beliefs, and of whole lives spent apart. A feeling of connection isn’t enough. You have to fight for a relationship. This is the story of two women who did. The raw openness of their writing and the breakneck speed of their reconnection is compelling. Heartlines is at once both unique and universal. It’s a story of courage and what can happen when you open rather than close your heart; when you decide to stay just as every fearful instinct tells you to run away. Heartlines is about connection and reconnection and why relationships are worth the fight. It is a piercingly honest and often hilarious story of what it takes to reconnect—and stay there—after a lifetime apart. Fast-paced, warm, and funny, this is an adoption story that pulls the reader on to a wonderful if wobbly rollercoaster ride, exploring themes of family, motherhood, loss, belonging, hope, courage, and the importance of never giving up.

Heartlines: The Year I Met My Mother

Parenting & Relationships

McFarlane,Susannah

Leuba, Robin

Adoption

Vintage Australia

An emboldening, exquisitely illustrated picture book of reimagined fairy tales with a feminist twist, perfect for fans of the classic stories, Disney lovers, and readers of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls! They may be small, but they're big of heart-- kind and cheerful, brave and smart. And so with courage, hope, and laughter they make their own "happily ever after." In this treasury of modern fairy tales, the heroines make their own way to happily ever after, and there isn't a damsel in distress in sight! Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Thumbelina don't let fear or self-doubt hold them back. Using their wits, bravery, honesty, and kindness, they problem-solve their way out of tricky situations. See how Rapunzel invents her way out of her tower or Red Riding Hood outsmarts the wolf! Each story has a modern twist, a different illustrator, and all the charm of a classic storybook. This sweet and accessible book is perfect for young princes and princesses learning to have courage and follow their hearts.

Fairy Tales of Fearless Girls

Children's Books

Literature & Fiction

Aladdin

Perfect for fans of the classic stories, Disney lovers, and readers of Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different, this stunning and inspiring picture book collects reimagined fairy tales with a modern twist to value kindness and honesty as much as strength and valiance. Battles are fought and dragons slain; evildoers kept from ill-gotten gain. Yet our heroes find, as perhaps will you, that it's how as well as what you do. Four brave heroes stand up for what is right in this beautifully illustrated treasury of modern fairy tales. There are many ways to be strong and save the day! Discover the gentle giant who forgives the troublesome thief who climbed his beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel as they work together to escape an evil witch, a young boy who tells the truth about the emperor's clothes despite the consequences, and a prince who fights to help a sleeping princess in need. Each story brings a unique perspective, a different illustrator, and all the charm of a classic storybook. This emboldening and accessible book is perfect for young princes and princesses learning to be clever, honest, and bold of heart.

Bold Tales of Brave-Hearted Boys

Rocky Road

Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing

What happens when you're feeling upset? Grandma shows Emma how to say goodbye to being grumpy in this sweet and sensitive social emotional picture book. A must-read for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are often caught up in their feels. Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but she's very grumbly. That's because she didn't get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out. Grandma shows Emma how to draw your grumbles. Then how to take your grumble drawing and fold it into a boat. They take their boats out to the water and say goodbye to their grumbles forever. Once they let go of their grumbly feelings, a different type of grumble makes them realize something: it's time for lunch! A gentle and loving social-emotional learning story for little ones learning to navigate their feelings.

Grumble Boats

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Charlesbridge

Cuddly Callum [Paperback]

Scholastic. Australia

Kind Katie (Little Mates)

Drama Queen

Lemonfizz Media

Puppy Alert

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Books by McFarlane,Susannah