Vivian Bi - Driftwood

When her marriage and high fashion dream collapse, Jade Lin escapes Sydney for the remote country town Driftwood, where she accepts a year-long position caring for the mysterious antique shop of the late Alice Wong.

Expecting dust and solitude, Jade instead discovers a warm, eccentric community, enigmatic Otto Pound, a loyal German Shepherd and a collection of keys. One unlabelled key leads to the discovery of Alice’s extraordinary life, secrets spanning decades and continents, and a fortune others will lie for and cheat to possess.

As Jade fights against the scammers, she must also confront the fears and superstitions that have haunted her own family for generations. Solving Alice’s final mystery transforms her life as well as her understanding of courage, sacrifice, generosity and belonging.

An intriguing tale of the frailty and resilience of people determined to heal the wounds caused by closely kept family secrets. - Sue Wiles

This is a real page turner with its blend of history, romance, mystery, detective fiction and humour. - Sharon Ross

Vivian Bi was born in Beijing and migrated to Sydney in 1990. She has a PhD in literary criticism and has taught Chinese at the University of Sydney and at Ascham School, Sydney. She has published several novels and memoirs including Green Coloured Dream (1995), Born to Be a Concubine (2003), Bright Swallow, Making Choices in Mao’s China (2019), Dragon’s Gate (2020), and Sunshine in the Dark (2023).

Ann Leahy is a Sydney-based community activist, artist and environmental volunteer, and President of the Cooks River Valley Association. She is also a printmaker, creating work inspired by the natural world and the birds and landscapes of the Cooks River. Ann has a lifelong love of literature and spent many years managing a large independent bookshop.