EBOOK
About
Alone and penniless, in the 60s, deserted mother, Laura Hallam, applies for a live-in home help job with Joseph and Ida Lawson (Penrith). Ida is physically and emotionally unstable after two still births and a cot death. Laura craves education and Joseph makes it possible for her to attend night school for matriculation. She feels indebted to him. Josephs runs a lucrative business. He is charming and malevolent in turn, which confuses Laura.
Laura's beloved father is stricken with liver cancer. Prognosis dire. Possible experimental treatment available in India. Cost £20,000. Laura cannot get a loan. Turns to Joseph who gives her the money but in return she must give him baby Jennifer for Ida. Laura is conflicted but accepts the money and takes her father to India for the treatment. He dies soon after and Laura feels she has sold her child for nothing. She resolves to steal Jennifer back but the Lawsons take the child to Vanuatu (then New Hebrides). Laura moves seemingly insurmountable obstacles but gets there and is conflicted again when she takes the baby from Ida who obviously adores the child. Laura feels like a dog in the manger as she had never properly bonded with Jennifer.
When she gets back to Sydney with Jennifer Joseph threatens her and leaves no stone unturned to retrieve Jennifer to save Ida's sanity. He tracks Laura all over Sydney and she finally hides Jennifer in an orphanage. Laura's sister Sarah is murdered as part of the intrigue as Joseph continues to terrorise.
Laura meets Rose and they enjoy the swinging sixties together and Laura almost forgets she has a child in an orphanage. As an evening Uni student Laura meets John Milford whose ambition is to make money, lots of it. Laura is tired of poverty so they marry. He retrieves Jennifer from the orphanage and adopts her. But Laura feels estranged from Jennifer whose very presence invokes unbearable guilt.
John needs a lot of money to invest in a finance company and he "sells" Jennifer to his depraved father. Jennifer gives birth to Bannon who is treated as a daughter along with Mallory, Laura and John's first child. They conceal Bannon's true parentage from her. Bannon finds a mysterious photo which sets her on a path to find truths.
Laura tries to atone by giving Mallory and Bannon everything she never gave Jennifer but she cannot give of herself. Bannon and Mallory grow up feeling rudderless and they both have unsatisfactory relationships with men. Mallory cannot hold a job but nobody advises or helps her. Bannon survives a career crisis but Mallory is almost destroyed by the death of her musician fiancé, her only successful relationship. She feels that she is a complete failure and needs to die.
Laura makes John's life hell for what he did to Jennifer and he punishes himself every day till eventually he is driven to suicide. Bannon falls in love with an Aboriginal man, Alfie, with emotional baggage of his own. She discovers her true parentage on a visit to Jennifer's farm in Queensland. She has a breakdown. Almost loses Alfie.
After a life in and out of mental hospitals, Ida dies by her own hand. Fuelled by revenge and anger, Joseph begins to stalk the two young women.
He cons Laura into the belief that Ida is dying and wants to make peace with Laura. Steeped in guilt, Laura agrees to go and see Ida one last time. Joseph and his nephew seize Bannon after work and take her to Joseph's house the same night Laura has agreed to visit Ida. They both discover the trap when they get there. Joseph puts a knife to Bannon's eye to hurt and terrorise Laura. Mallory and Bannon's boyfriend, Alfie, are suspicious that all was not above board and they arrive in time to save the day. Laura proves her love for the girls.
Laura's beloved father is stricken with liver cancer. Prognosis dire. Possible experimental treatment available in India. Cost £20,000. Laura cannot get a loan. Turns to Joseph who gives her the money but in return she must give him baby Jennifer for Ida. Laura is conflicted but accepts the money and takes her father to India for the treatment. He dies soon after and Laura feels she has sold her child for nothing. She resolves to steal Jennifer back but the Lawsons take the child to Vanuatu (then New Hebrides). Laura moves seemingly insurmountable obstacles but gets there and is conflicted again when she takes the baby from Ida who obviously adores the child. Laura feels like a dog in the manger as she had never properly bonded with Jennifer.
When she gets back to Sydney with Jennifer Joseph threatens her and leaves no stone unturned to retrieve Jennifer to save Ida's sanity. He tracks Laura all over Sydney and she finally hides Jennifer in an orphanage. Laura's sister Sarah is murdered as part of the intrigue as Joseph continues to terrorise.
Laura meets Rose and they enjoy the swinging sixties together and Laura almost forgets she has a child in an orphanage. As an evening Uni student Laura meets John Milford whose ambition is to make money, lots of it. Laura is tired of poverty so they marry. He retrieves Jennifer from the orphanage and adopts her. But Laura feels estranged from Jennifer whose very presence invokes unbearable guilt.
John needs a lot of money to invest in a finance company and he "sells" Jennifer to his depraved father. Jennifer gives birth to Bannon who is treated as a daughter along with Mallory, Laura and John's first child. They conceal Bannon's true parentage from her. Bannon finds a mysterious photo which sets her on a path to find truths.
Laura tries to atone by giving Mallory and Bannon everything she never gave Jennifer but she cannot give of herself. Bannon and Mallory grow up feeling rudderless and they both have unsatisfactory relationships with men. Mallory cannot hold a job but nobody advises or helps her. Bannon survives a career crisis but Mallory is almost destroyed by the death of her musician fiancé, her only successful relationship. She feels that she is a complete failure and needs to die.
Laura makes John's life hell for what he did to Jennifer and he punishes himself every day till eventually he is driven to suicide. Bannon falls in love with an Aboriginal man, Alfie, with emotional baggage of his own. She discovers her true parentage on a visit to Jennifer's farm in Queensland. She has a breakdown. Almost loses Alfie.
After a life in and out of mental hospitals, Ida dies by her own hand. Fuelled by revenge and anger, Joseph begins to stalk the two young women.
He cons Laura into the belief that Ida is dying and wants to make peace with Laura. Steeped in guilt, Laura agrees to go and see Ida one last time. Joseph and his nephew seize Bannon after work and take her to Joseph's house the same night Laura has agreed to visit Ida. They both discover the trap when they get there. Joseph puts a knife to Bannon's eye to hurt and terrorise Laura. Mallory and Bannon's boyfriend, Alfie, are suspicious that all was not above board and they arrive in time to save the day. Laura proves her love for the girls.