AUTHOR’S NOTE
This book is a work of fiction; the characters in it are fictional and bear no resemblance to actual individuals, living or dead. What is real is the nature of the island community, and while I have taken some liberties with the geography, Flinders Island is indeed a magical place. I owe a debt of gratitude to Peter Frost for planting the seeds of this story and Pip Frost for encouraging me and being a test reader. I’d also like to extend a special thanks to Marion (Maz) Matthews for her input and kindness in being a first reader. I owe a great deal to many of the locals for their stories and advice, but a special debt to two books, Against Pride and Prejudice by Ida West, and Grease and Ochre by Patsy Cameron, for windows into the lives of the Straitsmen, and the Aboriginal people living on the islands. Any errors are of course mine, and not theirs.