Discover the Great Depression through the eyes of a teenager at the launch of a new book.
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Burradoo author Michelle Morgan will release her second novel Flying Through Clouds at the Bowral and District Art Society gallery in Bowral.
The story follows 14-year-old Joe, who dreams of becoming an aviator after seeing Charles Kingsford Smith land on Seven Mile Beach on the NSW South Coast.
“I think Joe is well-intentioned and has empathy, but he gets caught up in certain things, as young boys do,” Michelle said.
“He’s an anti-hero, he’s not a golden child at all.”
Michelle spent about five months researching aviation and the 1930s before she put pen to paper. The final product was published four years later.
“I looked into what people wore, ate, how they communicated, lived and what activities they enjoyed doing in the 1930s,” she said.
“I needed to know how to fly a certain type of plane that Joe discovers in the book, so I watched a lot of technical videos.
“Most of the information in the book is genuine – I only made up the name of the street Joe lives in.”
Michelle said she drew inspiration from her husband, son and brothers when writing from the perspective of a teenage boy.
“I think the motivations of both genders can be quite similar, we all use trial and error and make mistakes,” she said.
“Sometimes you can have insights into the othe gender that you may take for granted in your own.”
Michelle has written a previous book about Joe, called Racing the Moon, and didn’t have an idea for his new story until she visited the Gerringong Aviators Museum for its 80th anniversary.
“I was blown away by what they had there, all these first-hand accounts of when Charles Kingsford Smith landed on the beach, and I thought ‘this is it, Joe wants to be an airman’,” she said.
“I could picture the plane coming into land and Joe being here to see it.”
The launch of Flying Through Clouds will kick of the book’s tour, and will take place at the BDAS Gallery on April 1 at 5.00pm.
There are limited places for the launch, so bookings are required. They can be made through info@michellejmorgan.com.au.
The BDAS Gallery is located at 1 Short Street, Bowral.