Kookaburra

by Bronnie Ware

Three friends. A shared past. A journey of love, loss, and the ties that bind.

In a small, drought-stricken village in Australia, Jetta, Felicity, and Uli form a close friendship, with the creek as their sanctuary from the heat and hardships around them. But when Felicity and Jetta’s relationship shatters, Felicity is left unable to forgive. Jetta, burdened by a secret, disappears from the village. Uli, heartbroken and cynical, heads in the opposite direction.

For years, the three are scattered across the world, each facing personal struggles and unexpected growth. Kookaburra is the story of the paths they choose and the consequences they face. As each character navigates family, forgiveness, and love, they come to realise the lasting impact of their past.

Rich in emotional depth and sense of place, this is a novel about the resilience of the human spirit and the fragile, enduring threads that connect us. At its heart, Kookaburra asks how far people will truly go for love.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 9, 2026

About the author

Bronnie Ware is the author of the international bestselling memoir, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, which has reached over a million readers in 32 languages. Her work has inspired people across the globe to live with greater courage and with clarity about what truly matters.

She is now making her fiction debut with Kookaburra, a novel that carries her signature emotional honesty into storytelling, weaving themes of resilience, courage, secrets and friendship. At its heart, it explores the unexpected choices that shape a life, and how far people will truly go for love. (Kookaburra is released September 2026.)

Bronnie is a TEDx speaker and has been featured in international media including The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, BBC Breakfast, Harvard Business Review, The Sunday Times, and interviews with voices such as Marie Forleo, Lewis Howes, Dr Wayne Dyer, and Dr Rangan Chatterjee. Her work continues to reach readers and audiences around the world, encouraging a slower, more intentional way of living.

She lives in the Australian wilderness, where she writes and vlogs. Bronnie is also an advocate for slow living and leaving room for wonder.

Reviews

[Sharon]

Thank you to NetGalley and Platypus Creek Publishing for an ARC of this book. Review to come.