Please join us for chat with local author Hester Garner and Leanne at our Port Macquarie Library on Friday 29th August at 4.30pm.
Hester is an avid recorder of living histories and author of the new novel, An Official Killing.
Although born in South Africa, Hester adopted Australia as her home 30 years ago. She lives happily on the Mid North Coast of NSW with her husband and two hounds who rule their lives. She was educated at universities locally and overseas and holds a PhD in Education – expect a subtle life lesson in all her writing!
As a former university lecturer, Hester now juggles full-time writing with volunteer work through her Be Thankful Project which acts as her contribution to education and the community at large. Through the project, she provides free online second language tuition, do writing projects, actively mentors students in her role as university alumna, and donates time and effort as part of the Australia Reads initiative to encourage reading.
Because research is close to her heart, Hester’s writing focusses mostly on historical fiction. She speaks three languages and uses her cultural heritage and love of languages to make historical narratives come alive. Her works include historical fiction, living histories, memoir and academic publications in second language studies. She treasures the benefits of ‘owning’ two cultures, which happily co-exist in her writing. This focus is reflected in all her work.
An Official Killing
This is Cornelia’s story – a tale of ordinary people acting inhumanely, of the underdog showing compassion, of love and empathy flourishing despite the harshness of war. She recounts history from a woman’s perspective and takes us on a journey crossing war’s path. A young Afrikaner woman caught up in the wickedness of the Second Boer War between Boer and Brit (1899 – 1902) in South Africa.
We follow Cornelia on a path of bewilderment after the family farm was slashed and burned, including hellish incarceration in concentration camps. An Australian connection takes centre-stage before she ventures into untamed frontier territory where she finds solace among nature’s creatures.
Cornelia teaches us many lessons applicable even today, but especially how to live a life to the full under challenging circumstances.
