Against The Tide

by Peter Yeldham

A compelling saga of friendship love and survival

They came from the ruins of the war in Europe: Sarah Wiseman, the survivor of a German concentration camp, Michael and Helen Francis, a brother and sister fleeing from the Russians in Budapest, and Neil Latham, the young English soldier who broke the rules to help them all survive. The four arrive in Australia seeking a new start in the lucky country.

But life in post-war Sydney, amid the gangs and corruption, and in the high country of Australia's Snowy Mountain Scheme, is hardly an idyllic existence. And the past, left so far behind, threatens to jeopardise all their futures in unexpected and terrifying ways. It seems only a matter of time before buried secrets will be revealed...

Genres: Historical

497 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2009

About the author

Peter Yeldham has been a writer since the age of seventeen, when he wrote short stories and radio scripts. He went to England, intending to stay a year and stayed nearly twenty, writing for British television in the nineteen sixties, then feature films and stage plays, including the highly successful “Birds on the Wing” and “Fringe Benefits” which ran for two years in Paris. He has written another five plays for the theatre and collaborated on the musical “Seven Little Australians.”

His Australian work includes numerous mini-series, among them 1915, Captain James Cook, The Alien Years, All the Rivers Run, The Heroes, Heroes ll – The Return, The Far Country, Run from the Morning, The Timeless Land, Ride on Stranger and The Battlers. He adapted Bryce Courtenay’s novel Jessica which won the 2005 Logie award for best mini-series. He is the author of eight previous novels, which include A Bitter Harvest, Without Warning, The Currency Lads, Against The Tide, and The Murrumbidgee Kid.

In 1991 he received an Order of Australia Medal for achievement in film and television, and in 2003 a Centenary Medal for services to Australian writing. Industry honours include six Australian Writing Awards, a British Guild Award , and a nomination for an International Emmy for his television drama, Captain James Cook.

Reviews

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was a pretty good read and I did enjoy it. It is about refugees that came to Australia after the war. It does highlight some of the issues around those immigrants and the conditions that were part of their immigration agreement.

I thought the ending was a bit too neat and it wrapped up really quickly.

[Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing story woven from the background and struggles of new Australian migrants post WW2, to integrate in this country. Will read all from Peter Yeldham.

[Sreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. Gives a great feel of Sydney and the social attitudes of the time just after WW2.