2022 marks the tenth anniversary of publishing my debut novel, The Wilted Rose, which tells the story of one Australian family’s struggle with mental illness during the 1960s and 70s.
To mark National Mental Health Month, and to celebrate this special anniversary, from now until the end of October, in partnership with Simply Story Poetry, I will be sharing excerpts from the book, and songs reminiscent of the experiences and events shared in the storyline. This novel tells the true story of my grandmother, known as Sarah in the book, born in 1934, in Queensland Australia.
The story begins back in the post-war year 1946. Sarah is a young teenager. She lived with her three younger sisters, her older brother and her parents in an old large Queenslander-style farmhouse. It was nestled in the hinterland on a sprawling dairy farm, which her father managed, situated a few kilometres outside a small country township. During the week, Sarah, her older brother and her three younger sisters attended primary school in the township, while their mother stayed at home tending to the household chores, cooking for the family and the vegetable garden.
Read the first excerpt on the Simply Story Poetry blog HERE
The ebook edition of The Wilted Rose will be FREE until the end of October. Click HERE to download your copy.
Kate Kelsen 
Leave a Reply