On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown

 

Outback Odyssey

By Paul Rushworth-Brown

"Outback Odyssey" tells the story of a young man from Yorkshire who emigrates to Australia in the 1950s under the Big Brother Movement scheme.

In the wake of war and dislocation, young Yorkshireman Jimmy journeys to the outback, chasing escape but finding something far more dangerous: the truth of himself and the land he now calls home.

What begins as a story of survival becomes a profound allegory of belonging, silence, and identity. As Jimmy collides with love and betrayal, he also encounters the enduring wisdom of the First Peoples — knowledge that most outsiders are too frightened to face, let alone write about.

Outback Odyssey is sweeping and cinematic, a novel of resilience threaded with unexpected twists and allegorical depth. Already under consideration for a screenplay adaptation, it peels back the myths of Australia’s past to reveal what lies beneath: the unspoken histories, the inherited traumas, and the courage it takes to walk a path that others fear.

Publication Date: June 20th, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 342
Genre: Historical Fiction

Excerpt

Cultural Encounter with Jarrah

“I ask your permission to teach him our ways and show him our culture and Country.”

The Elders exchanged glances, the firelight catching the lines of their faces. The eldest of them, Jarrah, was the first to speak. His voice was deep, and his eyes carried the weight of generations.

“This is not a decision that should be made lightly.”

Kullindi leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. “What is it that you see in this whitefella? You think he is worthy of this — why?” Her words hung in the air, as heavy as the night.

Dhirrari’s reply came steady. “Jimmy has walked a hard road, not so different from my own. He has known loss and loneliness. He was raised without family or a place to call home, but he has chosen to connect, to understand, to belong. I have watched him — not for days, but for moons. He listens, not just with his ears, but with his heart. He doesn’t take from the Land without thought; he walks it with care.”

The silence stretched long, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Finally, Jarrah gave a slow nod. “Then let it be so. But remember — to walk this path is not to borrow. It is to carry. It will change him.”

Jimmy bowed his head, understanding without needing every word. For the first time in his life, he felt the weight of acceptance settle on his shoulders like a mantle he was willing to bear.

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Paul Rushworth-Brown

Paul Rushworth-Brown was born in England and raised in Canada before emigrating to Australia at eighteen, where he became a citizen. By twenty, he had already travelled the world twice, hitchhiked across Australia, and worked as a navvy in outback Queensland — experiences that gave him an enduring respect for resilience, culture, and the landscapes that shape human character.

He later completed a Master’s degree at Charles Sturt University, honing the research skills that underpin his richly detailed novels. A high school teacher and former professional football coach, Paul draws on a lifetime of experience to bring authenticity and depth to his writing.

His novels are known for their cinematic sweep, allegorical undercurrents, and unexpected twists. Outback Odyssey, his fourth book, is a tale of survival and belonging set against the vast backdrop of 1950s Australia. Beneath its page-turning adventure lie questions of identity, silence, and reconciliation — themes that echo long after the final page.

Paul lives in Sydney, where he writes, teaches, and continues to explore the intersections of history and identity.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: Mistress of Dartington Hall (Daughters of Devon, Book #3) by Rosemary Griggs

 

Mistress of Dartington Hall

(Daughters of Devon, Book #3)

By Rosemary Griggs

1587. England is at war with Spain. The people of Devon wait in terror for King Philip of Spain’s mighty armada to unleash untold devastation on their land.

Roberda, daughter of a French Huguenot leader, has been managing the Dartington estate in her estranged husband Gawen’s absence. She has gained the respect of the staff and tenants who now look to her to lead them through these dark times.

Gawen’s unexpected return from Ireland, where he has been serving Queen Elizabeth, throws her world into turmoil. He joins the men of the west country, including his cousin, Sir Walter Raleigh, and his friend Sir Francis Drake, as they prepare to repel a Spanish invasion. Amidst musters and alarms, determined and resourceful Roberda rallies the women of Dartington. But, after their earlier differences, can she trust Gawen? Or should she heed the advice of her faithful French maid, Clotilde?

Later Roberda will have to fight if she is to remain Mistress of Dartington Hall, and secure her children’s inheritance. Can she ever truly find fulfilment for herself?

Publication Date: July 10th, 2025

Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Pages: 292

Genre: Historical Fiction

An interview with, Rosemary Griggs.

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve been writing in one form or another all my life, but it’s only in my retirement that I’ve been able to indulge my lifelong passion for history. After a career in the Civil Service, writing briefings and speeches for government ministers, it’s remarkably freeing to write about the women of Tudor and Elizabethan Devon.

I first became interested in these remarkable women through my costume work; I create and wear sixteenth-century clothing at my talks all over the west of England. I was looking for a character I could bring to life from Devon’s past and stumbled on Katherine, mother of Sir Walter Raleigh. She had such a fascinating life, but few people had heard of her. So my first novel, A Woman of Noble Wit, was born. My background in the Civil Service has given me a good skill set for research, which I love. Delving into the history of the Champernowne family has introduced me to many other fascinating women whose stories I’m itching to tell.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

It wasn’t easy to find Roberda, or any of the women of Devon, in the historical record during the time of the Spanish Armada. I wanted to portray her as a strong woman in what seems to us a very patriarchal society. That meant a lot of careful, in-depth research, and a bit of lateral thinking. I’ve imagined her behaving much as the resilient women of the First and Second World Wars did.

Another difficulty was accurately picturing Dartington Hall in Roberda’s time. I aim to transport my readers into the sixteenth-century world. That means having a good idea of the layout and features of the buildings my characters live in. I’m very lucky to spend a lot of time at Dartington, listening to the birdsong, the wind in the trees and the rain on the windows. However, there has only been one full-scale architectural study of the property, detailed in Anthony Emery’s Dartington Hall, written in the 1960s. Emery was an eminent architectural historian, and his research has proved invaluable. Yet, it was still difficult to unpick the changes Sir Arthur Champernowne made when he arrived just before Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, and see the fourteenth-century manor house through Roberda’s eyes.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

I’d have to choose Roberda herself. She had a dreadful childhood and became a rather annoying, rebellious child. In my story, she becomes a strong and independently minded woman, whose valiant struggles to help others less fortunate really struck a chord with me. Having worked my way up in the Civil Service, somewhat against the odds, while bringing up three boys, I also empathise with her struggles as a wife and mother. I’v been fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive husband, who is nothing like the stern, cold Gawen.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

I’m not a great movie buff, so I’ve enlisted the help of a friend to come up with my top picks to play Roberda, Gawen and Thomas. We have had such fun with this!

Roberda: Jessie Buckley would be an engaging choice, and she’s played women searching for a way of living and surviving in a society that has its own ideas of how she should act and behave. I think she’d balance the flaws in Roberda’s character well with the good stuff with no sugar-coating. I can’t wait to see her in Hamnet! Alternatively, since Roberda is French, we might go with Marion Cotillard.

Gawen: Matthew Rhys, because he’s quite good looking, but can also play a charismatic baddie. I think he’d bring out all the complexities of Gawen’s character, with all its underlying uncertainty, concealed under a tough skin.

Thomas: My friend favours Alan Rickman, but I have a sneaking preference for a very smooth, silver-haired Pierce Brosnan.

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

Firstly, I hope readers will enjoy reading about a Tudor woman who was not one of Henry VIII’s wives and spent little time at the royal court. It is such a fascinating period in history, and I love the stories of Anne Boleyn as much as anyone. But affairs at court dominate our thinking about life in Tudor England. There was a lot going on in the rest of England, with some fascinating characters living interesting lives. Roberda is just one of them.

Secondly, I hope they will understand Roberda as a compassionate woman of her time, struggling against the odds, and trying to do her best for her family. Perhaps they might also find parallels with women’s lives today. 

Thirdly, I hope many readers will visit beautiful Devon to see Roberda’s world.

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Rosemary Griggs

Author and speaker Rosemary Griggs has been researching Devon's sixteenth-century history for years. She has discovered a cast of fascinating characters and an intriguing network of families whose influence stretched far beyond the West Country. She loves telling the stories of the forgotten women of history — the women beyond the royal court; wives, sisters, daughters and mothers who played their part during those tumultuous Tudor years: the Daughters of Devon.

Her novel, A Woman of Noble Wit, set in Tudor Devon, is the story of the life of Katherine Champernowne, Sir Walter Raleigh’s mother. The Dartington Bride follows Lady Gabrielle Roberda Montgomery, a young Huguenot noblewoman, as she travels from war-torn France to Elizabethan England to marry into the prominent Champernowne family. Mistress of Dartington Hall, set in the time of the Spanish Armada, continues Roberda’s story.

Rosemary is currently working on her first work of non-fiction — a biography of Kate Astley, childhood governess to Queen Elizabeth 1, due for publication 2026.

Rosemary creates and wears sixteenth-century clothing, and brings the past to life through a unique blend of theatre, history and re-enactment at events all over the West Country. Out of costume, Rosemary leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall, a fourteenth-century manor house that was home of the Champernowne family for 366 years.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club: UGARIT (Tales of a Lost City) by Janet Tamaren

UGARIT
(Tales of a Lost City)
By Janet Tamaren

Publication Date: September 2nd, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 334

Genre: Ancient Historical Fiction

A captivating tale of bravery in the face of heartbreak and upheaval.

IN THE SPRING OF 1190 BC, on the sun-drenched shores of the eastern Mediterranean, the thriving city of Ugarit pulses with life, trade, and courtly intrigues. But danger brews beyond its walls.

Yoninah, a gifted healer, offers herbs and amulets to ease her neighbours’ suffering. When a Mycenaean – an ex-soldier from the Trojan War—stumbles into her life, he reawakens memories she thought long buried. Just as whispers of war echo ever closer.

Meanwhile, in the royal court, Thut-Moses is a scribe who was trained in the temples of Egypt. The king is paralyzed by ominous messages: foreign invaders are razing one coastal city after another. As the tide of destruction nears, Ugarit’s fate hangs in the balance.

Torn between loyalty and survival, love and duty, Yoninah and Thut-Moses must each decide: what will they risk to protect what they hold most dear?

Rich with historical detail and inspired by newly-translated cuneiform tablets unearthed from Ugarit’s ashes, Ugarit: Tales of a Lost City brings to life the final days of a cosmopolitan world on the brink of collapse – a sweeping tale of courage and resilience at the twilight of the Bronze Age.

Praise

 

"A masterfully told tale-rich, riveting, and utterly transporting. I couldn't put it down."

Historical Fiction Review

Excerpt

CHAPTER 4: AT THE HEALER’S SHOP

Yoninah’s house had the classic sign of the healer outside the door: a snake entwined around a pole.

Hearing a firm knock at the door from the street, Yoninah went to answer it. A middle-aged man stood there, nursing his left arm. The arm was clearly crooked.

“I broke my arm. Can you fix it?” he said with a slight accent.

“Yes, I can splint your arm for you,” she said. “And I have pain meds for you as well.”

“That would be most welcome.” He grimaced with the pain.

Showing him to the front room, where she kept her herbs and supplies, she got him situated on a comfortable bench. She was skilled at setting broken bones. Every month or so, someone from the docks appeared at her door with an injury to an arm or leg. The men did heavy work: unloading cargo from the ships.

“I have silver to pay you. I am told you are good at your work. I’ve broken bones before. I know it will lay me up for a while.” The man attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite work. 

Looking more closely at him, she saw that he had the cheekbones, chin, and beard of the Aegean. His hair was black, mixed with a sprinkling of gray. The skin of his face and arms was heavily tanned, with creases across the face, courtesy of the harsh sun of the Great Sea. A handsome face except for the grimace.

Probably a refugee from the war in the north, from Troy, she thought. A war that had been over and done with for a good twenty years. 

She picked up a salve of poppy seed extract and myrrh and returned to the bench where the Mycenean sat. She washed the area and applied the numbing ointment as a compress.  As she worked, she made small talk to distract him from his pain: “I’m guessing you are Mycenaean. Not much accent there, but you look like you’re from the Aegean. How did you break your arm?”

“I was carrying wine jars on a cart drawn by an ox. The cursed animal took a tumble,” said the Mycenean. “I tried to catch the jars before they hit the ground. The jars survived but my arm broke. Heard the thing snap. Hurts like the sting of a thousand bees.”

“Well, let the compress work for a bit. Should feel better in a short time,” said Yoninah. “Let me find a splint to fit you.”

“And maybe a cup of honeyed wine to take the edge off?” he asked.

“Certainly,” she said. Yoninah called for her daughter Laylah to fetch a flask with honeyed wine.

“How did you end up in Ugarit?” asked Yoninah. “This is a distance from the Aegean Sea.”

“The war,” he said flatly. “I mean the Trojan War. I joined the fleet in Mycenae when I was seventeen because I thought it would be a grand adventure. They paid a good bonus as well. Ten stinking years later – most of it spent outside the grand walls of Troy, in a siege that was going nowhere –we somehow broke through the walls, looted the city, and burnt it.”

“I was sick of the whole adventure by then. And sick of the sea: too many storms, too many shipwrecks. Never wanted to go back across the Great Sea.” He paused for a beat and said, “Is my arm almost ready? I can’t feel the pain as much anymore.”

“Good,” she said. “Lay your arm flat on the table. And here is that wine for you.”

Taking a cup of wine from Laylah with his right arm, he drank it down in one fell swoop. 

Yoninah had him lay his misshapen left arm on the table, and manipulated the broken bone back into position. She splinted it with a plank of cedar wood and wrapped it in clean cloths. “How does it feel?” she asked.

“Not bad,” the man said. The man’s attempt at a smile proved a bit more successful.

“You fought at Troy. That’s a goodly distance from Ugarit,” Yoninah said as she gathered up a sling. “How did you wind up here?”

“Never wanted to go back to the open sea. Took passage on a ship bound for Ugarit. As you know, these ships travel along the coast. That took a scant ten days, what with favorable winds and currents. Been here a good twenty tears now,” he said.

She gave him a sling, to keep his elbow bent and the arm held close against his chest. She tied the sling herself. As she bent over him, he stared at her chest.

“That’s a pretty necklace you are wearing.” His eyes were fixed on the pendant she wore, a painted terracotta figure of a naked woman.

Yoninah bit her lip as she tried to hold back a smile. Her patient was a bit tipsy now.

“Thank you. It is Asherah, the Queen of Heaven.” She was momentarily distracted by the intensity of his gaze. She reverted quickly to her healer persona.

“There you go. No using the arm! For at least four weeks. Do you have a wife or daughter to keep an eye on you?” Yoninah couldn’t meet his eyes as she asked this question.

“No,” he said. “My wife died. I have a friend who can help. I’ll be all right.”

“My husband died five years ago,” Yoninah said before she could catch herself. She didn’t really need to tell him this information. She turned away and busied herself for a moment.

“I’ll need you to come back in two weeks,” she said. I’ll need to make sure the arm is healing.” 

“My name is Menelaus. And yours is?” 

“You can call me Yoninah” she said.

Giving her a silver shekel for the arm repair, he swore he would be careful with the arm and agreed to return in two weeks. He gave her a lopsided grin at that point. Possibly due to the excess of wine, she thought.

After he left, she felt uplifted. That had been an unusually pleasant interaction. The bone had gone smoothly back into place.

Laylah had remained respectful while the Mycenean was there. After he left, she looked at her mother’s flushed face and laughed. “You like him.” she said. 

Yoninah agreed: “He is handsome enough. He kept us amused.” She thought, “It is true, I am looking to forward to seeing him again.”

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Janet Tamaren

Janet Tamaren is a retired physician who practiced for two decades in rural Kentucky. Now living in Denver with her husband, she enjoys writing and is the author of a medical memoir and a guide to Hebrew Bible stories.

She began writing UGARIT during the COVID lockdown.

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