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Fiction
Paperback book with dust jacket
Two young women, brought up to expect conventional lives, are thrown together in unexpected circumstances. Each has suffered a devastating loss that challenges their belief in life and themselves. It’s rare to come across a work of deep psychological insight conveyed with such verve and lightness of touch. Kelly sweeps the reader into the lives and passions of her two central characters and into the bustling city streets of Sydney in the 1920s. A powerfully moving book that sparkles with vitality.
‘Kim Kelly's spry and endearing period novella, set in 1920s Sydney, features two unconventional women who were classmates at school, reunited by chance... This buoyant novella, in which passion and period charm converge, offers an elegant tonic for grief.’
— Sydney Morning Herald & The Age
‘In this beautiful novella, Kelly brings to life the bustle of Sydney, its various neighborhoods and streets, its beaches and businesses, in these post-war years. Her development of [her] two characters is tremendous... Kelly’s prose is gorgeous; reading this book is like studying a painting by a master or listening to a symphony.’
— Historical Novel Society
‘Within the pages of this novella Kim Kelly brings to life the loneliness and grief of two women, at a time of renewed fervour, hope and celebration following the end of the war... The story is beautifully written, the sounds and sensations of bustling Sydney life swirl around the two solitary figures adrift in the chaos.’
— Read Plus
‘So much atmosphere, so much detail creating such a sense of place and time bursts forth from this novella. The emotions of both Dotty and Clarinda are so on point, like a shard of glass embedded beneath the skin, I could feel their pain, their sorrow, as they each struggled with their own personal grief... Kim Kelly is one of our finest Australian writers and it gives me so much joy to recommend this winning novella to all.’
— Theresa Smith Writes
Kim Kelly was also the Nonfiction Winner of the 20/40 Publishing Prize of 2025 with her memoir, Touched. Kim is the author of twelve novels, including the critically acclaimed novella, Wild Chicory, and The Rat Catcher: A Love Story, which was long-listed for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize. She has also written short stories and essays, both creative and scholarly, and is completing a PhD in Literature at Macquarie University. As a book editor, she is known as Kim Swivel. She lives and works on Wiradjuri and Eora lands, in central west NSW and Sydney. Find out more about her at kimkellyauthor.com.
Fiction
Paperback book with dust jacket
Two young women, brought up to expect conventional lives, are thrown together in unexpected circumstances. Each has suffered a devastating loss that challenges their belief in life and themselves. It’s rare to come across a work of deep psychological insight conveyed with such verve and lightness of touch. Kelly sweeps the reader into the lives and passions of her two central characters and into the bustling city streets of Sydney in the 1920s. A powerfully moving book that sparkles with vitality.
‘Kim Kelly's spry and endearing period novella, set in 1920s Sydney, features two unconventional women who were classmates at school, reunited by chance... This buoyant novella, in which passion and period charm converge, offers an elegant tonic for grief.’
— Sydney Morning Herald & The Age
‘In this beautiful novella, Kelly brings to life the bustle of Sydney, its various neighborhoods and streets, its beaches and businesses, in these post-war years. Her development of [her] two characters is tremendous... Kelly’s prose is gorgeous; reading this book is like studying a painting by a master or listening to a symphony.’
— Historical Novel Society
‘Within the pages of this novella Kim Kelly brings to life the loneliness and grief of two women, at a time of renewed fervour, hope and celebration following the end of the war... The story is beautifully written, the sounds and sensations of bustling Sydney life swirl around the two solitary figures adrift in the chaos.’
— Read Plus
‘So much atmosphere, so much detail creating such a sense of place and time bursts forth from this novella. The emotions of both Dotty and Clarinda are so on point, like a shard of glass embedded beneath the skin, I could feel their pain, their sorrow, as they each struggled with their own personal grief... Kim Kelly is one of our finest Australian writers and it gives me so much joy to recommend this winning novella to all.’
— Theresa Smith Writes
Kim Kelly was also the Nonfiction Winner of the 20/40 Publishing Prize of 2025 with her memoir, Touched. Kim is the author of twelve novels, including the critically acclaimed novella, Wild Chicory, and The Rat Catcher: A Love Story, which was long-listed for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize. She has also written short stories and essays, both creative and scholarly, and is completing a PhD in Literature at Macquarie University. As a book editor, she is known as Kim Swivel. She lives and works on Wiradjuri and Eora lands, in central west NSW and Sydney. Find out more about her at kimkellyauthor.com.
