1
The Dead Heart
Douglas Kennedy, Folio Policier
Fascinated by a map of Australia, an American journalist decides to leave everything behind to discover the country. Along the way, he picks up a strange hitchhiker who kidnaps him and takes him to her home, among a clan of crazy people living in the middle of nowhere, in the heart of the bush. A black and darkly comic thriller, recommended by all our consultants.
2
Our neighbours down under, Australian chronicles
Bill Bryson, In a Sunburned Country
Australian adventures of a travelling American. A hilarious but more serious travel story than it sounds, providing a wealth of information on Australian culture.
3
The Drunken Kangaroo and Other Bush Stories
Kenneth Cook, Fear is the Rider
Not for the fainthearted, this short story set in the Australian outback is a terrifying thriller.
4
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
Doris Pilkington
Doris Pilkington tells the dramatic story of her mother Molly, as well as the story of thousands of Aboriginal children interned in government camps. A 14-year-old girl accompanied by two other children, Molly escapes and travels 994 miles across the bush to reunite with her family. A touching account of the ' stolen generations ', a tragic episode in Australian history.
5
The Hunter
Julia Leigh, Points
A hunt in an area of the world where nature has preserved its wildlife, Tasmania: M. is both a hero of yesterday and today - mandated to hunt the last Tasmanian tiger (a species said to have disappeared in 1936) by a biotechnology company, confronted with the World Wildlife Fund and Darwin's creationist detractors, he is also a hunter, facing hunger and cold to catch his prey. A superbly-written masterpiece, and definitely one of the best books to read before a holiday to Australia.