David Gormley-O'Brien: Author of Australian Historical Fiction
The Human Stories That Shaped a Nation
The Becoming Australia series explores the defining events and experiences of the first half of the twentieth century through the lives of ordinary Australians caught in extraordinary times.
From the bubonic plague to the post-war occupation of Japan, these novels bring history to life through:
- Sydney's bubonic plague outbreak and the fight to save a city on the brink
- the home front during the Great War
- the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the vision behind it
- waterside workers struggling to survive during the Great Depression
- the Cowra Breakout and the fatal consequences of complacency
- forbidden relationships between Australian women and Italian prisoners of war
- nurses enduring hardship under Japanese internment
- moral dilemmas and shattered lives in occupied Japan after the war
An Attractive Naivety is an epic work of Australian historical fiction spanning the first half of the twentieth century. Through the lives of ordinary men and women, it traces the nation’s journey from Federation and plague to Depression, war, and uneasy peace. Interweaving fictional characters with real events, the novel explores the humour, hardship, courage and contradictions that shaped modern Australia.
Set against the remote Pacific island of Morotai and the ruins of postwar Japan at war’s end, Ashes and Sakura follows Tom Darcy, a young Australian soldier serving with the British Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan after the Second World War. As he encounters the devastation of a defeated nation and forms unexpected bonds with those on the other side of the conflict, the novel explores war, memory, love and reconciliation.
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What readers are saying
An Attractive NaivetyTom HartDavid Gormley-O'Brien brings History to life. As a "War Baby" I was brought up with a Grandfather who served in WWI and a father who served in WWII. Neither wanted to talk about their war service.
Reading well researched historical accounts of the Great Wars is informative but David's conversion of well researched history into fiction conveys an actual feeling of the lived experience of families affected by war service.
An Attractive NaivetyLinda FitzpatrickI love it when a writer weaves historical events into the lives of believable characters in a way that engages the reader, rather than coming across as a history lesson! The multi-generational characters in An Attractive Naivety brings to life some little-known facts in Australia's history, and highlighted the strength and resilience of the people during those difficult times. I particularly enjoyed learning about Kathleen Butler's role in the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and what an inspiration she became to women both in Australia and in England. The book was well-paced, rich in detail and a pleasure to read.
Ashes and sakuraCarolineI enjoyed Ashes and Sakura even more than David’s previous book An Attractive Naivety. It is a rich blending of historical detail with an engaging story following the experiences of members of the Darcy and Davis families during the Second World War. I found it hard to put down. Can’t wait for the next book of the series to be available.