Billarooby - Valentine Press

by Jim Anderson

An 11-year old boy fantasises that Japanese prisoners of war in remote Billarooby, Australia, are honourable samurai. Vigilantism and drought, combined with inability to tackle the truth about the Armstrong family’s darkest past, drive Lindsay’s parents to desperate measures and bouts of madness. A coming-of-age of great poignancy as the story reaches its climax on the dried-up bed of the Lachlan river. Read more…

The first edition of Billarooby was published in the U.S. and the U.K. to rave reviews. This second edition is the first Australian edition.

E-book versions now available for Kindle (mobi) and iPad (epub) – A$9.99.
(Your e-book will be emailed to you. For Kindle users who are unfamiliar with this method of receiving e-books, just connect your Kindle to a usb port on your computer, then move or copy the file to Documents in the Kindle directory. For iPad users, open iTunes on your pc and connect your iPad, then drag & drop to the iBooks folder on the left hand menu.)

Kathy Fruechtenicht on Chipman’s African Adventure Reader CommentsHi Jim, I just read the 1st chapter of Chipman's African Adventure. Quite entertaining. I was actually looking for myself in the book, but was...
John Ellison Davies on Chipman’s African Adventure Reader CommentsA major comic achievement beautifully, exuberantly, hyperactively written. Chipman Smith is a not-quite-innocent abroad looking for love during the last demented days of hippie idealism...

Sandra Lawson on Witch Girl and the Push Reader CommentsFascinating insight into a lifestyle and philosophy. Vividly written. Why was I twenty years too late?
Rev Harry Herbert on Witch Girl and the Push Reader CommentsI found Lyn Gain's book interesting. I was President of NCOSS part of the time when she was Director. She gives a good account of...

Steve Kerr on Best and Fairest Reader CommentsA great read. As an old school chum of the author, I was constantly looking for clues to the real identity of the characters in...
Naomi Doyle on Best and Fairest Reader CommentsI loved Best and Fairest and think it's an extraordinary piece of work and utter pleasure to read. It's clearly very well researched and informed...

Dennis Godfrey on The Bird of Time Reader CommentsThe Swiss Family Robinson, the Ancient Mariner, Robinson Crusoe, and Lord of the Flies can all eat their survivalist hearts out! Gavan Bromilow’s story is...
Ross Elizabeth Dalrymple on The Bird of Time Reader CommentsThis is a riveting story. A cataclysmic event causes chaotic, life threatening circumstances, described vividly and dramatically, but in simple prose. A scene set in...

Nicole Moore on Wakuwal Readers’ CommentsDo not come to this book with preconceptions based on Botsman’s previous work, his fierce analytics and academic credentials - you will be left confused...
Paul Briggs on Wakuwal Readers’ CommentsStart with the ancestors and old people, the river red gums. To grow your understanding of the people and their trauma, you need to come...