Time of the Child by Niall Williams. Set in a small Irish village, this tells the story of Dr Jack Troy who lives quietly with his unmarried daughter Ronnie. Their lives are changed forever just before Christmas in 1962 when an abandoned baby is found and handed to him, and instead of passing the child on to the correct authorities he finds he simply cannot give her up. I cannot say enough how wonderful this book is - it’s a masterclass in writing and I thought it was sublime.

The Voice Inside by John Farnham. The famous Australian singer - who still holds the record for the biggest selling album ever in Australia (Whispering Jack) has written a memoir about his life and career, and about triumph over adversity. There was a period where his record company turned their backs on him and it looked as though his career might be over, but he managed a comeback - and has also survived a nasty cancer scare. Listeners may recall that his song The Voice was used as the anthem for the referendum held last year, and brought him to a whole new prominence. Above all, he’s a proud survivor. 

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