White Gum Creek

Nick Langtree had lost what he considered the lot in a devastating bushfire which killed his wife and unborn child, laying to waste much of his farm, the livestock, and his reason for living.

Six long years have passed since the tragedy and he is only now, with the help of long-time friends and the community, beginning to emerge from his reclusive lifestyle. There are times when he needs to leave his self-imposed lifestyle on Winters Hill, but he does this grudgingly, paying scant regard to the townsfolk who try to engage him in conversation, wanting to encourage him to begin to return to being an active member of the community once again.

When in town, he often goes into the Gumnut Bakery, an institution in the town that has seen a re-emergence under the new direction of brother and sister team Natasha and Alex Duroz, grandchildren of the original owners; Tash simply can’t help trying to make a little difference in Nicks life, and he is finding that with time and a little help, he is beginning to want to re-join the world; at least a very little piece of it.

It is not until things begin to go slightly amiss at Winters Hill, he begins to believe he is being targeted by group of vandals, but why. The level of vandalism and a raft of very strange occurrences keep being repeated, eventually escalating to the point where it can no longer be ignored. After much soul searching, Nick realises that there is more to this than kids having a go at him.

He also realises that his sanity is not at stake and begins to want to know more about what, and who, is behind what appears to be this senseless series events. When Tash gets run off the road by a truck on her way to Nick’s place, the serious of the situation is recognised and he realises someone is playing for real, and in deadly earnest.

New love, fresh beginning and the overwhelming gift of friendship and love, all come together in this warm and delightful tale from Nicole Hurley –Moore, just when you needed a fresh dose of feel good reading.

Enjoy