Blackwattle Lake

A story of courage and forgiveness for those who long to uncover who they used to be, and who they might still become.

For smart talking, newly claimed city girl Eve Nicholls, walking up the driveway of her childhood home a property she recently inherited from her mother is an eerie feeling. The horses that she loved still freckle the paddocks but the house is empty, and she s glad to have her best friend Banjo the Kelpie with her . . . and a bottle of bourbon. Her plan is simple: sell the farm, grab the cash and get the hell out.

Despite her desire to keep a low profile, within days of her return Eve runs into all the people she hoped to avoid the uncle who can t forgive, the ex who moved on, and the best friend who he moved on with. At the house she is surrounded by memories and worse. She finds an envelope addressed to her in her mother s handwriting, and sees a shadowy figure in the doorway. Is it her own guilt causing these delusions or has her past finally come back to haunt her?

But with horses to feed, an injured mare to care for, and a lifetime of clutter to sort out, there s plenty to take her mind off it all. Slowly, she begins to discover the girl she used to be: Angie Flanagan, adventurous, animal-loving, vulnerable. When tragedy strikes, Eve realises that changing her name all those years ago in an attempt to hide from her past has not changed the truth of who she really is.

About the Author

Pamela Cook divides her time between writing and teaching creative writing at the St George and Sutherland Shire Community College. In teaching writing to adults she has realised the truth in the old adage that teaching is the best way of learning. Blackwattle Lake is her first book.