Ratwhiskers and Me

A powerful atmospheric verse novel set in the Victorian goldfields in the 1800s.

Traumatised by a fire in which the narrator's family perishes, the narrator takes on a new identity on the goldfields. There, Sun Song, a Chinese market gardener is the only one to show any kindness. The narrator flees to the Chinese camp, taking the name Lin. But Ellery, a man with links to Lin's past, is determined to take over all rights on the goldfields, setting in place a dangerous sequence of events. To survive is a test of friendship and loyalty, and a catalyst the remembering of Lin's tragic past.

• A unique Australian verse novel, written by a respected Australian poet, which will be an important resource for schools.
• Deals with important social and historical issues such as racism and the role of identity.

About the Author

Lorraine Marwood was born and raised in rural Victoria and has lived for most of her married life on a dairy farm with her husband and their six children. Lorraine is an award-winning poet who has been widely published in literary magazines across Australia, as well as magazines in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Canada. She has also published several children’s novels and collections of poetry. Her titles with Walker Books Australia include 'A Ute Picnic and Other Australian Poems', 'Ratwhiskers and Me', published in 2008 and 'Star Jumps' which was short-listed for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2010, Lower Primary Category; received a Notable mention in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, 2010; and won the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Children’s Fiction, 2010. For more information about the author, please visit her website: www.lorrainemarwood.com