Inspired by a real case, Half Moon Lake is a captivating historical novel set in America's Deep South about a lost boy - and the two mothers who both seek to claim him.
One bad decision can tear your world apart . . . December 1974. Abby Campbell and her brother Charlie are driving to their father’s farm on a dark country road when they swerve into the path of another car, forcing it into a tree. The pregnant driver is killed instantly. In the heat of the moment, Abby and Charlie make a fateful decision. They flee, hoping heavy rain will erase the fact they were there. They both have too much to lose. But they have no idea who they’ve just killed or how many lives will be affected by her death. Soon the truth is like a riptide they can’t escape, as their terrible secret pulls them down deeper by the day. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/riptides-9780143792086
Kirsten Alexander reflects on growing up in Brisbane in the 1970s, and how this inspired the setting and characters in Riptides.
Ponder this with your book club: can one bad decision tear your world apart?
Explore the parent-child bond, identity, and what it means to be part of a family with your book club.
Author Kirsten Alexander on the podcast that sparked the idea for her debut novel.