Journal Entry 1 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Sunday, March 16, 2008

"'I was out on the porch, scrabbling along the brickwork, feeling for a familiar rough patch. It was still hard to see but I located the loose brick. Something was sticking out. It was the letter. Tom's first letter from 1942.'

Returning to Nelson Bay after nearly thirty years is not going to be easy for Peggy Lockwood. After her mother's funeral she begins the difficult task of sorting through her mother's belongings only to discover pieces of a completely unknown past. Why had she only ever seen one photo of her father? And what happened to the radiantly happy young woman in the holiday snaps?

'Tomaree' explores the concepts of personal healing and self discovery by venturing between the past and present. This sensitive romantic drama offers insight into Newcastle and its surrounding regions during World War II and the early 1970s." 

Journal Entry 2 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

I read this in the first half of 2006 - long before it was published.

I think it deserves to be shared. This copy will go out on an Australian / New Zealand Bookring.

LadyIndigo
sally906
catsalive
Carole888
BellaMack - asked to be skipped (check again before being sent home, please)
tqd - asked to be skipped (check again before being sent home, please)
sujie
livrecache
Shelly3110

No special rules or conditions - just manners! 

Journal Entry 3 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Friday, March 21, 2008

I decided to read this again before the 'Official Launch' of the book on Tuesday 25th March 2008. I don't usually like to read a book more than once, but I'm pleased that I did. I cried this time, too!

I plan to purchase some postcards of the area, while we're staying at the Shoal Bay Country Club this weekend, and included them to travel with the book, to make the places mentioned more 'real' to the readers.

I've got LadyIndigo's address and this will go in the mail after the Easter holidays. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I have. X 

Journal Entry 4 by LadyIndigo from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, April 03, 2008

how exciting!!

thanks cat207 for sharing this new novel from one of our own
and for the extra goodies which are part of this book's travel-kit

i am looking forward to reading it
i love the cover photo

;-) 

Journal Entry 5 by LadyIndigo from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, April 09, 2008

well what can i say... i was to read this on the weekend but picked up a thriller and then another.. but have read it now ;-)

having lived in the hunter, i had some idea about the setting - port stephens area - but i had no idea that tomaree peninsula is the site of "the largest shipwreck washed up on the eastern australian seaboard" (on the map provided with the book); i also did not know of the american military being there during ww2

it was a pleasant read - the journey through regrets and secrets kept the pages turning - i wanted to know how it all end
the story of the many australian war brides going to america has recently become more known - the distances between home and new home were so immense then, current communications (email, phone) makes it seems so much closer - so the letters were so important back then

i liked the little quotes interjected by the character joan

a great book by a first time writer
will post onto sally906 today

happy reading
thanks cat207 for sharing
;-) 

Journal Entry 6 by sally906 from Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Arrived today - will be as quick as I can - I have four books ahead of it.

Why do bookrings travel in packs??? 

Journal Entry 7 by sally906 from Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Friday, June 13, 2008

Peggy Lockwood returns to Nelson Bay in NSW after living overseas for 30 years. Her mother has died and it is up to Peggy to pack her whole life away. As she tidies things up she slowly learns about her mothers past and the bearing it had on her own life. As she digs into the issues in her mother's past, Peggy is also working out the present day issues she has with her husband back in the USA.

A very gentle read, a wonderful sense of place as I know the Nelson Bay area very well having spent many a summer at the nearby Fingal Bay. Was a little slow to start with, but once I got into it was a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I was aware of the influx of American military personnel into the area during WWII - but got a much great insight into the impact on the local community. Very well portrayed.

A good debut book from Australia's own Debbie Robson 

Journal Entry 8 by sally906 at on Friday, June 13, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (6/13/2008 UTC) at

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mailed off today 

Journal Entry 9 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 23, 2008

Thanks sally906. 

Journal Entry 10 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 30, 2008

A really nice story from a gentler time, despite the Wars. It reminds me of books I've read actually written in the same period this covered. The book has a slow, gentle rythm to it, much like the area it's set in, with occasional moments of fierceness. I enjoyed Peggy's discovery of her self and her family.

Thanks cat207, & our lakelady. I await Carole888's address. 

Journal Entry 11 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, July 03, 2008

Posted to Carole888 this morning. 

Journal Entry 12 by Carole888 from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Its here! Oooh I love the cover!! I had actually forgotton about this bookring and got a surprise when I heard from catsalive. I had been meaning to sign up for this bookring at some stage in the future ...... a weak attempt to control myself, as far as bookrings were concerned. I must have signed up in a self-induced hypnotized state. The book looks intrigueing and I just love the map and post-cards that have come with it. Thank you! Will be back with more. 

Journal Entry 13 by Carole888 from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, July 13, 2008

This was a book that was hard for me to put down - There were heaps of interruptions over here, (as usual) and I was getting quite desperate but I finally got to the end ... after 1 am, this morning.

I loved the map (my bookclub friends have a good laugh about my obsession with maps and the places in the books we read)-It was great to be able to find all those places, streets, bays, the spits... I retraced every possible walk that was taken and the boat's run on the day of the picnic (great to have 3 different maps there!) ... the postcards were beautiful (I also compared the views with the maps) .... I have never been there so it was lovely to be able to see them and get some sort of feel for the place.

It was interesting to learn a little about the area during the war, the American base, the wreck etc and picture how it could have been all those years ago. I liked the way the chapters were set out, nice short chapters ... easy to read ... also liked the alternating chapters portraying both the past and present, for it gave a chance for us to get to know the characters better. I loved the quotes.

Thank you cat207 for sharing this and thank you catsalive for sending it this way. (A big thank you to lakelady for writing this. Looking forward to more!)

BellaMack and tqd have asked to be skipped so I will send it on to sujie as soon as I hear from her.

(Addit: Monday, July 21,2008 I have posted the book off to sujie this morning. Happy reading!)

Journal Entry 14 by Sujie from Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales Australia on Monday, July 28, 2008

Thanks very much, looking forward to reading it! Arrived today. 

Journal Entry 15 by Sujie from Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales Australia on Monday, August 18, 2008

Sorry to be so long. Real life has been hectic, unlike this little book, a halcyon of gentle nostalgia in the midst. I can see how much the memories of lakelady's Shoal Bay holidays informed this book as I felt the landscape was a central character; the cover adding visual impact - I loved the less vibrant back cover photograph as more representative of the reminiscent feel. A very gentle, bittersweet book. Thanks for sharing this with me.
On to livrecache... 

Journal Entry 16 by Sujie from Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Just found postcards under TBR pile - keeping them safe! Will post on to Livrecache. 

Journal Entry 17 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Arrived safely. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank you so much for sharing. 

Journal Entry 18 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Saturday, November 22, 2008

I started and finished this book today, having just found the box it was in following our recent move.

Congratulations, Debbie. Your evocation of the area was wonderful, and you brought your characters to life beautifully. I'll pm Shelly3110 now and then find the postcards that Sujie sent separately. Moving house does nothing for my organisational skills. Sorry.


 

Journal Entry 19 by livrecache at Port Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Sunday, January 18, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (1/18/2009 UTC) at Port Melbourne, Victoria Australia

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Belated controlled release. Apologies to all. 

Journal Entry 20 by Shelly3110 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The book arrived yesterday. Looking forward to reading this one, particularly as I spent holidays in Shoal Bay every year growing up and am still a regular visitor to the area.

I have a couple of books ahead of this one on my TBR pile but will get to it as soon as possible.


Wednesday 18 March, Tomaree is still with me, sorry it has taken me so long to get to this one, TBRs and life get in the way. I am starting it today. 

Journal Entry 21 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Sunday, April 05, 2009

Excuse me for butting in.
This book is now up on Amazon.com. If you could take the time to put your thoughts on it into a review, I know Debbie would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Cat. X 

Journal Entry 22 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 24, 2009

Yay! It has finally arrived at my door! Not that Mt TBR is any shorter than when I first skipped on this bookring (if anything, it seems to grow when my back is turned...), *sigh*. I might need to start a new pile soon...

But, anyhow, this is now taking its place on Mt TBR, and I'm looking forward to reading it! Thanks Shelley3110!

 

Journal Entry 23 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, May 21, 2009

A lovely story. I enjoyed the passionate romance between Tom & Peggy, it really sizzled at times! The characters were interesting and true-to-life, I did like them all. And the cutting back and forth between 1972 & WW2 kept my interest up, as Peggy's family history and more recent history were slowly revealed in parallel. And I can see why you shed a tear or two, cat207!

My only quibbles would be that the book needed a tighter edit - there were many WW2 terms that meant nothing to me (JOOTS?) and were never explained, and a number of typos that jarred at times. But they were minor quibbles, and overall the book was very enjoyable, interesting, and (at times) quite unputdownable.

Congratulations, Debbie, and thanks for organising the ring, cat207! BellaMack has asked to be skipped, so I shall pop this back in the post to cat207, along with a few other books I owe her. 

Journal Entry 24 by tqd at Balmain, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, July 23, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (7/23/2009 UTC) at Balmain, New South Wales Australia

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And in the post today, back to cat207. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 25 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Monday, July 27, 2009

This book arrived home in today's mail. Only my second bookring to make it back home - and both the same book! Thank you to all who've participated. X 

Journal Entry 26 by cat207 at Domestic Terminals (Details in notes) in Melbourne Airport - Tullamarine, Victoria Australia on Sunday, August 02, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (8/2/2009 UTC) at Domestic Terminals (Details in notes) in Melbourne Airport - Tullamarine, Victoria Australia

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