Young adult novel: Every evening Possum waits with Olga in the calm water of Hope Bay. Together they wait for the dolphins to surge from the deep. They only ever come for the old woman and no one knows why, though Possum is sure it is magic. But there is more to Olga than just magic … there are secrets. Secrets that drove Olga far away from her homeland to the precious pristine wilderness of Hope Bay. Secrets that she will never speak of, not even to Possum.
Joyous and moving in equal parts, Hope Bay is a story of friendship, freedom and courage.
Published by Penguin Australia, 2005.
Winner of the 2006 Wilderness Society Award.
Shortlisted for the 2006 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
An all-too-rare, important and moving story of loss and migration.Centre for Youth Literature Newsletter, Victorian State Library
… interweaves the haunting story of Olga’s childhood in Nazi-occupied Rotterdam with Possum’s rite-of-passage experiences, to consider the kindness of strangers and the forging of family. Big themes sensitively handled distinguish this satisfying book for an upper primary audience.
Katharine England, The Adelaide Advertiser
…deals with the ways in which facing large dilemmas, seeing your life in context and being able to take a stand all lead slowly to maturity.The Sydney Morning Herald
…skilfully written and fraught with tension … conservationism, the nature of death and the honour and burden of a legacy – are thoughtfully explored…
Magpies
Possum knows nothing of Olga’s childhood or the secrets she cannot share. And this is partly what make this book such a lovely study of humanity, friendship and the joy that comes with freedom.
The Courier-Mail, Queensland
Nicole Plüss 