CHRISTOBEL MATTINGLEY is one of Australia’s most respected and admired writers. Her books on the effects of war are compelling narratives of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. They include radiation in The Miracle Tree, and the experiences of refugees in The Angel with a Mouth Organ and the Asmir trilogy. She also edited, researched and wrote the groundbreaking Aboriginal history, Survival in Our Own Land - ‘Aboriginal’ experiences in ‘South Australia’ since 1836; the oral history memoirs of a country postmistress, Ruby of Trowutta; and the best-selling biography of Deny King, King of the Wilderness.

The award-winning author of more than forty books for young people, Christobel Mattingley’s readership spans more than one generation. In 1990 she received an Advance Australia Award for her contribution to literature. In 1995 she was made a Doctor of the University of South Australia, and in 1996 a Member of the Order of Australia, both for service to literature and to the community through her commitment to social and cultural issues. In 1999 she received the Pheme Tanner Award for her contribution to children’s literature, and in 2004 an inaugural South Australian Books Be In It Festival’s Lifetime Recognition Award.

‘This book is about the quality of courage. There were many like David but the theme of this book and its importance is an examination of his attitude, his disregard of self, his sense of responsibility and his strong convictions. It is a story about youth, too. Christobel Mattingley has written this book with compassion and insight, its presentation is gripping and moving.’ Max Fatchen AM