Author Archives: Debbie Terranova

About Debbie Terranova

I write stories of mystery, history, and adventure that will inspire readers to question accepted 'truths' and discover alternative explanations. I call this approach ‘fiction with a conscience’. While settings, historical events, and some characters may be real or based on research, the narratives and central characters are generally the creation of my imagination. I have published three stand-alone novels with a fourth due out in 2021.

Recommended for fans of convict-era historical fiction

Posted on 9 March 2021 by Debbie Terranova

Fled by Meg Keneally My rating: 4 of 5 stars Convict-era historical fiction based on the true story of the daring escape of Mary Bryant (and others) in an open boat from Sydney Cove to Kupang, Timor. The known aspects … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Australian authors, convict era, historical fiction, keneally | Leave a comment

WWII in pictures: the voyage of the notorious ‘Dunera’

Posted on 6 March 2021 by Debbie Terranova

Dunera Lives: A Visual History by Jay Winter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Beautifully put together, this visual history shows through paintings, cartoons, photographs what happened to a shipload of German, Italian, and Jewish men – most of whom … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, WW2 and Internment | Tagged Australia, dunera, German, Hay, Internee, internment, internment camp, Italian, jews, orange, Tatura, WWII | Leave a comment

‘In the Moment’ – The Lockdown Diaries

Posted on 2 February 2021 by Debbie Terranova

Meat: nothing but mince and chuck Pasta: none Milk: going fast Flour: 12.5 kilo bag or nothing Toilet paper: don’t get me started Recently the Queensland Writers Centre called for short stories (500 words) for an online anthology, The Lockdown … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged covid, lockdown | Leave a comment

An escape to the magical ‘deep country’ of our ancient land

Posted on 28 October 2020 by Debbie Terranova

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton My rating: 4 of 5 stars An epic tale, in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm, set in the impossibly harsh country of Australia’s Top End. The characters are intriguing and larger-than-life, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Australia, bookreview, Dalton, Fiction, Topend, ww2 | Leave a comment

‘Unorthodox’: a heroic escape from oppression

Posted on 23 June 2020 by Debbie Terranova

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 by Debbie Terranova

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 by Debbie Terranova

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 by Debbie Terranova

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 by Debbie Terranova

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 by Debbie Terranova

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