Author: Catherine Clarke    Publisher: Idle Fancy Press

The balloon — now fully inflated — was restive and impatient, straining at the circle of men and boys holding it. Lillian’s scanty costume attracted even more admiring glances. All eyes stared at her in a blur of dread and desire as she positioned herself on the trapeze. ‘Ready … I mean right,’ she said with a catch in her voice. The professor gave the command and the men holding the balloon released their grip and stepped back. Testing her courage after her brother’s death, daredevil Lillian and her sister Ruby risk their lives for fame and fortune by parachuting from hot air smoke balloons throughout Australia and New Zealand. Feisty Lillian struggles to choose between love and her perilous career but in the competitive 1890s era of ballooning, is she brave enough to confront the truth about her past? Determined to take control of the balloon circuit and provide for her children, Lillian travels to New Zealand only to clash with charlatans, showmen, and disgruntled crowds when her exhibitions fall short of their expectations. A cascade of betrayals and reconciliations culminate in one last-ditch ascent from which there is no turning back.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 280

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 28-06-2021

Tags: June 2021   Christmas 2021   Fiction & Literature