Books

The Persimmon Tree opens in Indonesia in 1942 on the cusp of Japanese invasion and the evacuation of Batavia (Jakarta) by the Dutch. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Duncan is on holiday there, in pursuit of an exotic butterfly known as the Magpie Crow. It’s an uncertain, dangerous time to be in Indonesia, and Nick’s options of getting out are fast dwindling. Amidst the fear and chaos he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of a Dutch acquaintance, and she nicknames him ‘Mr Butterfly’.
A sweeping saga of love, war and friendship, set in the Pacific from the Battle of Guadalcanal to the present day. The novel follows a young Australian mans coming of age, escape from the Japanese and the friendships made that affect the rest of his life.