The River Daughter Ebook

An atmospheric, lyrical novel that brings the beauty and mystery of the Australian bush alive on the page.

Feeling isolated and alone with her beloved aunt about to move overseas, Alisa begins unpacking the boxes her aunt has had to leave behind. In one of them, she discovers her father's old sketchbook with a mysterious drawing of a white egret at a waterhole.

When the newly unearthed sketchbook is stolen, Alisa begins to experience a series of strange and magical events: a visit by an otherworldly stranger; a friend's sister lost in the bush; animals around her imbued with an uncanny knowing, and the feeling that someone out there is watching her.

Impelled to make sense of these happenings, Alisa soon realises that she is piecing together the clues to her parents' untimely deaths and ultimately, to the stunning truth about who, or what, she really is.

Immerse yourself in the earthly and unearthly mysteries of this mesmerising new novel from Australian author, Alexandra Manfield.

About this book

• Title: The River Daughter
• Author: Alexandra Manfield, an Australian author with a background in plant ecology, based in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
• Series: The Curwood Chronicles, a series of connected standalone novels set in Australia
• Where it fits: A prequel to The Walkers of Curwood and Son of Shadow, telling Alisa and Tomas's story before they return in those books
• Genre: Australian contemporary fantasy; nature fantasy with mystery, supernatural elements and touches of urban fantasy
• Setting: Inner-city Melbourne and the Australian bush, with a strong sense of place
• Themes: Family secrets, grief and identity, and the magic of the natural world
• You'll find: Selkies and water spirits, a raven shapeshifter, a girl lost in the bush, and the old folklore of Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer carried into the Australian landscape
• For readers who love: Juliet Marillier, and Margo Lanagan's The Brides of Rollrock Island
• Suitable for: Adults and older teens (16+)
• Format: Ebook
• ISBN: 9780648686712
• Publisher: Spindle Press, 2020
• Also available: Paperback and hardback