Author Archives: Debbie Terranova
An unusual take on WWII espionage
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
Literary fiction at its best
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
My year as a research fellow …
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
What happened on the homefront during WWII? Townsville Festival of Stories.
“Under the Skin 4” – SLQ Fellows’ presentations about the world wars
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
An invitation: hear about my “Women and War” project for SLQ
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
From Brisbane trainee nurse to U.S. war bride.
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
The War Diaries of Nurse Taylor
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
Read history this year
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.
Queensland Women and War research project
In July 2018, the State Library of Queensland awarded me a research fellowship for my project, “Queensland women and war: a multicultural perspective of the experiences of female civilians during World War II”. For the project I am seeking to … Continue reading
