New books: Analysis of Albo's first term and a tale of stolen innocence

Press gallery doyenne Michelle Grattan and her fellow editors have compiled a series of essays by academics and public policy experts which together trace the policy hits and misses of the Albanese government's cautious first term. University of Canberra vice-chancellor and former opposition leader Bill Shorten supplies the preface and leading thinkers such as Frank Bongiorno, Liz Allen, Stephen Bartos and Geoffrey Watson SC are among the more than 30 contributors. Chapters cover subjects such as the embarrassing failure of the Voice referendum; the housing crisis; AUKUS and China; immigration; industrial relations; aged care and the cost of living crisis.

Fiona Skyring. UWA Publishing. $39.99.

Soldiers returning to Australia after the carnage of World War I were celebrated as heroes but, sadly, the narrative of the clean-cut Anzac often collided with reality. The survivors of the slaughter were in many cases physically or psychologically damaged and the country they came back to - itself grappling with political and societal upheaval - was ill-equipped to absorb them. The soldiers' anger and resentment found an outlet around the country in brawls and riots that historian Fiona Skyring says were "more widespread, numerous and serious than has been acknowledged". Skyring explains why some Anzacs took their grievances to the streets.

Dr Cesar Puechmarin. Affirm Press. $49.99.

What does it mean to be a naturalist in modern Australia? To be one of the dedicated few devoting their professional lives to understanding nature? To make your office "the swamp, the jungle, the mountain, the reef or even one's own backyard". This book is a celebration of nature in Australia and the people who study it. Engagingly written and beautifully photographed by the author entirely on colour negative film ("to capture the nostalgia of flicking through old National Geographic magazines"), we meet 12 naturalists and their fascinating subjects, from frogs and fossils to platypus, gliders, quolls and bats. Delightful.

Henry Reynolds. NewSouth. $34.99.

When Henry Reynolds moved to Townsville from Hobart to teach university-level Australian history in 1967 the textbook he was given mentioned First Nations people twice, and then only in passing. Reynolds set out to help correct this and became one of the first academics to champion Aboriginal land rights. His latest work turns Australian history on its axis and explores the colonisation of the north of the continent, the experiences of the Indigenous inhabitants and the contributions of the European, Chinese, Japanese and Pacific Islander people who are key to the story of settlement north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Hachette. $34.99.

The fourth novel from Miles Franklin Award shortlisted author Michael Mohammed Ahmad - after The Tribe, The Lebs and The Other Half of You - is the richly drawn, deeply felt story of a boy and his Power Rangers-filled, Rainbow Paddle Pop-coloured childhood innocence stolen in an episode of sexual abuse by a family member. Hamoodi is 10 years old and growing up fast in Australia, where he longs for the return of his father from the mother-land. Bullied at school, Hamoodi is taken under the wing of his teenage cousin Alooshi but he will come to understand how alone in the world he really is.

Sita Walker. Ultimo Press. $34.99.

The debut novel of Queensland state school teacher Sita Walker (her memoir The God of No Good was published in 2023) shows how sometimes the most important lessons of high school are learnt at lunchtime. Parks State High is a melting pot of misfits: Oliver Fish is hiding a secret relationship, Dev Patel is hopelessly in love with Maryam Fadel, and the staffroom is filled with gossip, camaraderie and burnt-out teachers. At the centre of it all is Paul Bush, a well-loved teacher. But when a disgruntled student makes a devastating move, one lunchtime is all it takes for Bushie's life to change forever.

J.R. Lonie. HaperCollins. $34.99.

John Lonie - co-writer of 2006 feature film Kokoda - follows his 2019 debut novel The Woman from Saint Germain with another wartime thriller. Set in 1930s Berlin, it features a young Bavarian actress, Monika Varady, who arrives in Germany's capital hoping to become a star of stage and screen. But with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, the theatre scene falls under the control of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. While staying true to who she is and those she loves, Monika must employ the skills of her craft to outwit Goebbels and resist the regime's attempts to corrupt German arts and culture.

Alexandra Potter. Macmillan. $47.99.

It's the thing you say to your friends at the beginning of a new potential romance. "So I met this guy..." For Maggie, it was a line said with the hope that she'd found her soulmate. The reality: he stole her life savings, her home, her heart and her self-esteem. When she meets Flick, a young reporter hoping Maggie's story will be her big break, they set off to catch the fraudster on the run in Europe. As their unlikely friendship develops, the love story may turn out to have nothing to do with the guy, and everything to do with finding yourself.

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