Fires of Fortune

River of the Sun revealed the indomitable spirit of former slave girl Diamond. Now her intrepid son faces his own struggle for survival... Patricia Shaw's Fires of Fortune is the thought-provoking sequel to the unforgettable saga, River of the Sun. The perfect read for fans of Tricia McGill and Fleur McDonald. As a boy, Ben Beckman is sheltered from the harsher aspects of life by his Aborigine mother Diamond, who is all too familiar with the prejudice rife within Brisbane society. He is unaware that his father is the ruthless Ben Buchanan, a prominent figure in the state political scene. Then one appalling night Diamond's life comes to an end. Crazed with grief, Ben vandalises his neighbour Dr Thurlwell's mansion - as the doctor refused to tend his mother. Ben's actions are to have tragic consequences... Over hard years, Ben's hatred for Dr Thurwell deepens. The girl next door is Phoebe Thurlwell, whom Ben has known all his life. When she offers the hand of friendship he is still motivated by a bitter feud with her parents. Phoebe is sent away to a friend's cattle station to remove her from Ben's influence, but he follows. There he comes face to face with his own father, a far more dangerous adversary than he ever thought possible... What readers are saying about Fires of Fortune: 'An imaginative and compelling account of what life was really like for early pioneers of Australia' 'The characters come alive and keep the reader gripped from first page to last' 'As always, Patricia Shaw writes a great story with great historical care'