Alyssa Brugman was born in Rathmines in New South Wales in 1974. She has written several books for young adults including Finding Grace, which was shortlisted for the Printz Award, and Walking Naked, which was a CBCA honour book. She lives in the Hunter Valley with her partner and their children.
When Rachel leaves school, she thinks she knows everything there is to know.
But when she meets the mysterious Mr Preston and he offers her a job, she is no longer sure. Her job is to look after Grace – a brain-damaged woman who doesn’t talk. Rachel thinks the job is a wonderful opportunity – she gets to live in a beautfiul house close to Uni, and gets paid for babysitting and a bit of cleaning.
The reality is a little harder. She has to contend with the responsibilities of looking after a once vibrant woman who seems to be no longer able to think for herself, as well as contending with rude neighbours and Grace’s predatory sisters. At the same time she is trying to come to grips with Grace’s past and with her own identity.
This is a book with some intense soul-searching and serious issues, but manages at the same time to be funny, with Rachel’s eccentric almost-adult viewpoint and occasional switches from past to present tense.
A short listed candidate for the 2002 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards (Older Readers Category), Finding Grace will appeal to readers aged sixteen to adult.
-Sally Murphy
Rachel has just left school and she knows everything. Well, maybe not quite everything. Then she meets the mysterious Mr Preston, who gives her a live-in job looking after Grace.
Untidy Towns by
Seventeen-year-old Adelaide is sick of being expected to succeed on other people's terms. Shes made a new plan: drop out of her fancy boarding school to read and dream. She just needs to stick it out at home for one more year and then she'll be free. But before she can work out her next move, Addie's grandad offers her a job at the local historical society. It's dusty and messy, like her hometown, like her new life. Then she accidentally kisses Jarrod, the boy who spends his days getting into trouble. But he's as stuck as she is and Addie starts to wonder that maybe when you really want something in life, you've actually got to do something about it. A heartfelt story about love, friendship and untidy towns.