Annie's Story ~ Paperback ~ Frederick Atwood

In the sweeping lawless land of 19th century Australia, Annie is a Protestant in a Catholic colony. When her adoptive parents contract the fever and die, her life takes a new direction when she comes under the control of Father Darcy. No thanks to Father Darcy she becomes a hard-headed young woman and takes her destiny into her own hands as she decides to escape from the Priory with her surrogate brother Bernard. As Annie embarks on the adventure of crossing the landscapes of the Australia's outback, she'll discover just how strong she is.Author BiographyMy love of history has been my motivation for writing a number of novels, leading up to Annie's Story. I was inspired to write this after tracing my grandmother's journey through life. Though the story is mainly a work of fiction, it also incorporates aspects of her life. She came from Tasmania to Melbourne, married, had two children, and lost her husband and one son to typhoid fever. After being homeless and destitute in Melbourne, with the help of her brother she moved to the West Australian Goldfields to start a new life. Her life and times gave me the framework to build the story on. I worked for Telecom Australia for most of my working life, during which time I was seconded to NASA to assist in maintaining telecommunications during the Apollo Seven space probe. As a writer I am a late bloomer, though I had experience in writing sporting articles for some of my local newspapers. It wasn't until I retired from my managerial position in Telecom Australia that I was able to allow my creativity to flourish and start writing seriously. I am married with three children and seven grandchildren. My other pursuits include travelling and a lifelong passionate interest in cycling. As a younger man I was a leading cyclist in the local West Australian competition.