Book excerpt: The secrets that bind a family can also destroy a family. The absorbing story of a guesthouse keeper and his wife who attempt to start over, from devastatingly talented debut author Kali Napier 'An intense tale of a family's heart-rending search for belonging' The Australian Women's Weekly 'One of the best books I've read this year. I am still thinking about it' MELISSA ASHLEY, The Birdman's Wife 1932. Ernie and Lily Hass, and their daughter, Girlie, have lost almost everything in the Depression. Abandoning their failing wheat farm, they make a new start on the west coast of Australia, where they begin to build a summer guesthouse. But forming new alliances isn't easy - and when Lily's shell-shocked brother Tommy wanders into their new life, his presence will raise questions that cut to the heart of who Ernie, Lily and Girlie really are. Kali Napier breathes a fever-pitch intensity into the story of these emotionally fragile characters as their secrets are revealed with tragic consequences. 'Beautifully told, poignant and memorable' KATE FORSYTH 'If you enjoyed The Woolgrower's Companion, Salt Creek, We That Are Left, and The Dressmaker, then this is definitely for you' Historical Novel Society