FRANCES HENKE
FLYING PONY PRESS
The Fair Wind series
FRAN's first published novel, was based on a true story told to her by Lucy Purcell about her great grandparents' arrival at Geelong, in the newly minted colony of Victoria. The travellers' bags were thrown on the beach, there being no wharf in 1850s. When counted, one was missing, so the husband went back to the ship to find it. The wind changed and the captain, eager to avoid losing crew to the goldfields departed. The husband was still on board, his wife stranded on the beach. How did they manage: a fragile artist thrown back to sea, his wife left to cope in a turbulent environment?
This story begged to be written, eventually published after significant research as The Other Side of the Wind by Flying Pony Press. The limited edition print run sold out and reprinted now for fourth time. The books include Fran's illustrations - linocuts and drawings. Readers asked "what happens next, so a sequel Winds of Rebellion brought events to Victoria's only armed conflict – the Eureka Rebellion in December 1854. This is told from the perspective of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. Rebellion sold out also reprinted.
This series was half intended to be a trilogy, so when readers still wanted to know 'what happens next', work began exploring the role of key and ordinary Victorians in Federation and An Imperfect Calendar resulted. In the fiction business you never know what those characters will do. That story did not reach the period of Australian history of Federation as intended. A lonely child is shuffled around three homes. No one will talk about her mother or father though Polly knows the latter is alive. Edward Anderson is walking away from grief, drawn back home with a cache of drawings featuring Victoria's diverse landscape. What happens next? The Coriolis Effect, published 2022, does bring the series up to Australia's decision to Federate, with Polly, now an author, travelling to London to observe the Constitution pass through Westminster as her father would have wanted. Her journey home on the 'Empire Star', travelling with Australian delegates and emigrants, proves life changing which the Coriolis force, while invisible and fictional, is prone to inspire.
To order the books: RRP $30ea plus p/p within Australia: email flyingponypress@gmail.com
Also download via Amazon or order from Peterson's Bookstore, Hastings, Victoria
info@teachersresource.com.au and via Amazon
Our Tim's sweet tale
Timmy's Daughter came to be written when Tim developed Dementia. Time came for him to cross the rainbow bridge. Rupee had been with him for 10 years, became lost and clingy, so we started looking for a pal - scouring Qld, NSW, SA and Victorian breeders for a mature Tib needing a home. Then a call from the next town - breeder knew of a family in Melbourne needing to rehome. Rang the owner, asked about pedigrees - her girl Chai was Timmy's Daughter. Chai came to live with us. Such a magical story had to be told, so the author undertook a UniTas course on Understanding Dementia as research.
The little book with lots of heart is on sale at Petersen's Bookstore, Hastings
or order via the contact page.
The Poet and the River
Many years ago as Editor of a Healesville newspaper, Fran became interested in seeing the source of the Yarra River. Expressing that to Board of Works staff, they were fired by the idea and organised a trip up Mount Baw Baw, the delighted journalist on board. This lead to articles in the local paper and Melbourne Herald.
Later, freelancing, Fran wrote this expedition as a story for young people.
Many moves on, she was encouraged to look out the Yarra story and fell in love with it again, starting simple line illustrations, researching further, finding links to the naturalist David Fleay and his grandson with whom she worked at the paper. David was instrumental in the expedition.
The book, to be launched on June 21, tells of an Oriental Poet, three young friends and an experienced bushman, fired by the idea of finding the source. They set out together, the Poet in his sandals - sometimes he disappears leaving them behind.
Will they find the source of Victoria's mighty river? Available at Petersen's Bookstore.
