Author Archives: Debbie Terranova

About Debbie Terranova

Debbie Terranova is an Australian author of contemporary and historical fiction. In 2018-19, armed with a QANZAC 100 Fellowship with the State Library of Queensland, Debbie completed a 12-month research project entitled "Queensland Women and War". Prior to this she published three novels and several short stories. 'Enemies within these Shores' (2018) is based on a shocking true story which saw the detention of thousands of civilians in Australia during WWII. 'The Scarlet Key' (2016) and 'Baby Farm' (2014) are crime mysteries set in Brisbane, Australia. 'The Scarlet Key' has underlying themes of growing older outrageously and seizing control of your destiny. 'Baby Farm' reveals the shabby treatment of young unmarried mothers in the 1970s in a crime mystery that plays out forty years hence.

‘Unorthodox’: a heroic escape from oppression

Posted on 23 June 2020

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Like many other readers, I discovered the existence of ‘Unorthodox’ while binge-watching the enthralling four-part series of the same name. The memoir (a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Inspiration, jews, judaism, memoir, new york, oppression, orthodox, women | Leave a comment

An unusual take on WWII espionage

Posted on 25 May 2020

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje My rating: 5 of 5 stars A beautifully-written historical novel, from start to finish. For someone who likes to write, such as me, the use of language is inspirational. Delightful and succinct descriptions abound, e.g. ‘we … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged espionage, historical fiction, history, Literature, mystery, writing, ww2, WWII | Leave a comment

Literary fiction at its best

Posted on 23 January 2020

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is, without a doubt, the most uplifting novel I have read in years. Beautifully written and engrossing from start to finish, it is the story of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Book Reviews, historical fiction, Literature | Leave a comment

My year as a research fellow …

Posted on 23 August 2019

My 12-month research fellowship with the State Library of Queensland (SLQ) has come to an end. What a wonderful experience! While I learnt a lot about my topic, I learnt even more about myself. Here’s my SLQ video interview about … Continue reading →

Posted in Author Chats, On Writing, WW2 and Internment | Tagged Australia, Enemy aliens, internment, presentations, Research, SLQ, women and war, world war 2, World War Two, WWII | Leave a comment

What happened on the homefront during WWII? Townsville Festival of Stories.

Posted on 21 June 2019

Posted in Author Chats, WW2 and Internment | Tagged Enemies, Germans, history, internment, internment camp, Italians, Japanese, Loveday, Migration, Tatura, women and war, WWII | Leave a comment

“Under the Skin 4” – SLQ Fellows’ presentations about the world wars

Posted on 2 May 2019

On 29 March 2019, I was honoured to present some findings of my project, “Queensland Women and War: a multicultural perspective of the experiences of female civilians during World War II”, at a public event at the State Library of … Continue reading →

Posted in WW2 and Internment | Tagged Australia, civilian woman, Enemies, fifth column, German, internment, internment camp, Italian, Japanese, SLQ, Tatura, women, women and war, world war 2, World War Two | Leave a comment

An invitation: hear about my “Women and War” project for SLQ

Posted on 26 March 2019

Are you curious about what happened during wartime in Australia? Follow the progress of the 2018 Q ANZAC 100: Memories for a New Generation Fellows Elaine Acworth, Dr Anastasia Dukova, Dr Martin Kerby and Deborah Terranova as they bring to life memories and … Continue reading →

Posted in WW2 and Internment | Tagged 1939-1945, detention centre, German, Internee, internment, internment camp, Italian, Japanese, migrants, Tatura, women, world war, World War Two, WWII | Leave a comment

From Brisbane trainee nurse to U.S. war bride.

Posted on 10 March 2019

How different was the life of a young woman in Australia during World War II? Personal diaries are a wonderful way to rediscover the day-to-day activities of our past. In this 1941 diary, twenty-year-old Elvie Geissmann records her first year as … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest blog posts, WW2 and Internment | Tagged 1941, Brisbane, Diary, hospital, nurses, nursing, Queensland, SLQ, trainee nurse, war bride, WWII | Leave a comment

The War Diaries of Nurse Taylor

Posted on 10 December 2018

In 1941 a young Brisbane nurse began recording the events of the war in these dainty little cloth-covered notebooks. For four long years, while working and studying, she never failed to note what happened. Like to read more? Go to … Continue reading →

Posted in WW2 and Internment | Tagged 1940s, 1941, austerity, Brisbane, coupons, Diary, Home front, nurse, nursing, rationing, SLQ, war, world war, World War Two, WWII | Leave a comment

Read history this year

Posted on 14 November 2018

Secret shame or wartime security? Learn the shocking truth about civilian imprisonment in Australia during WWII. Great gift idea for the history buffs in your family. Buy a copy direct from the author and have it autographed.

Posted in Speaking Engagements | Tagged authors, Enemy aliens, German, history, internment, internment camp, Italian, Italy, Japanese, Loveday, Migration, WWII | Leave a comment