Steal My Sunshine
  • Published: 1 May 2013
  • ISBN: 9781742758503
  • Imprint: Random House Australia
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 352

Steal My Sunshine

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EBook
1 May 2013
Paperback
1 May 2013
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'Steal my Sunshine is a gorgeous read, full of mystery, history, hope and heartbreak. I was gripped all the way to the bittersweet end.' - Simmone Howell, author of Everything Beautiful

'Steal my Sunshine is a gorgeous read, full of mystery, history, hope and heartbreak. I was gripped all the way to the bittersweet end.' - Simmone Howell, author of Everything Beautiful

During a Melbourne heatwave, Hannah’s family life begins to distort beyond her deepest fears. It’s going to take more than a cool change to fix it, but how can a girl who lives in the shadows take on the task alone?

Feeling powerless and invisible, Hannah seeks refuge in the two anarchists of her life: her wild best friend, Chloe, and her eccentric grandmother, Essie, who look like they know how life really works.

But Hannah’s loyalty to both is tested, first by her attraction to Chloe’s older brother, and then by Essie's devastating secret that sheds new light on how the family has lost its way.

Even if Hannah doesn’t know what to believe in, she’d better start believing in herself.

Combined with Hannah’s contemporary story, at the heart of Steal My Sunshine is the revelation of a shameful aspect of Australia’s history and how it affected thousands of girls and women – the forced adoptions that saw ‘wayward girls’ and single mothers forced to give up their babies by churches and hospitals. The practice endured for decades, and only now are the numbers and the heart-wrenching stories coming to light.

'As Hannah tries to sort out the present - enigmatic best friend, dream boy, fractured family - it is a long-held secret of her grandmother's that will show the way forward. A tender, heart-wrenching story.' - Fiona Wood, author of Six Impossible Things
  • Published: 1 May 2013
  • ISBN: 9781742758503
  • Imprint: Random House Australia
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 352
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About the author

Emily Gale

Emily Gale has been involved in the children’s book industry for twenty years: the first decade in London as an editor and freelance writer, and the latter in Melbourne as a reader and literary agent and a children's book buyer. She spent several happy years at Melbourne's award-winning bookstore Readings, during which time she was instrumental in establishing their Children’s Book Prize.

Emily’s writing includes Eliza Boom's Diary (2014), a duology for younger readers which has been published in several languages, as well as four novels for teenagers: Girl, Aloud (2009), Steal My Sunshine (2013) and The Other Side of Summer (2016) and its companion novel, I Am Out with Lanterns (2018). In 2017 The Other Side of Summer was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (Writing for Young Adults) and the Aurealis Awards (Best Young Adult Novel).

portrait photo of Emily Gale

Also by Emily Gale

I Am Out With Lanterns
The Other Side of Summer
See all

Praise for Steal My Sunshine

As Hannah tries to sort out the present - enigmatic best friend, dream boy, fractured family - it is a long-held secret of her grandmother's that will show the way forward. A tender, heart-wrenching story.

Fiona Wood, author of SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS

Essie is a character I wish I’d written. This is a book for anyone who thinks bad things don’t happen to good teenagers, and for those who know they do. I loved it.

Vikki Wakefield, author of ALL I EVER WANTED

This is an amazing book filled with secrets, relationships and hope. It’s an addictive read . . . The story becomes a part of you, you understand the characters as if they were your own family.

Chloe, age 16, Random House Book Buddies

I found Steal My Sunshine to be a feel-good novel packed with sassy characters and unexpected twists. I loved it.

Anneka, age 16, Random House Book Buddies

Beautifully narrated and with a captivating tale, the sections from Essie's point of view were a highlight of the book . . . I would highly recommend this book to older teen readers with appreciation for character development and narrative nuance . . . Fans of Melina Marchetta will probably enjoy this novel.

Madeleine, age 17, Random House Book Buddies

Steal my Sunshine is a gorgeous read, full of mystery, history, hope and heartbreak. I was gripped all the way to the bittersweet end.

Simmone Howell, author of EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL

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Steal My Sunshine