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When the Past Awakens by Helena Kidd from Bass Coast with Maria Avraam get shortlisted for state awards

The story will also take readers back to a time when Australia was just getting a new lease of life with its immigration, its workforce and the economy was just starting to grow.

The diary turned book ‘When the Past Awakens’ By Helena Kidd & Maria Avraam 2020: Shortlisted for the ‘Victorian Community History Awards’

By Portal Admin - 1st November 2020 - Back to News

Helena Kidd is a Greek Cypriot-Australian born to migrant parents and first generation Australian and a resident in the Bass Coast, a shire of Gippsland. This is Kidd’s first foray into publishing and writing ‘When the Past Awakens’ and Part 3 ‘The Richmond House.’

Many years ago, Helena came upon her mother’s Greek handwritten diary, and had it translated to English for the family. Then some eight years later, she felt that need to share her mother’s story with a wider audience, and before her mother goes to her final resting place. Like so many of her generation have done, and with them gone their stories forever. This prompted Helena to rewrite sections, edit and improve upon the story, and at the same time retaining her mother’s voice.

This is the story of Maria Avraam’s real and brutally honest account of her life and thoughts, straight from the heart. Her domineering mother was a constant battle of the mind and spirit. Maria endured mental and physical abuse from an arranged and forced marriage to a stranger. Arriving in Australia from her village in Cyprus presented even more challenges especially when she found herself alone, a deserted wife, with three small children to raise. However, she triumphs through the odds and proves to be a survivor.

"Today, women are still the silent victims just as Maria was. It still happens, so her story is very relate-able in today’s society and other cultures,"

Helena; lightens the mood and shares further insight and creates a bigger picture for the reader of the family’s life, living behind a shoe repair shop on Bridge road Richmond. Set in the 1960s and 1970s is part 3 ‘The Richmond House.’

"The story will also take readers back to a time when Australia was just getting a new lease of life with its immigration, its workforce and the economy was just starting to grow."

‘When the Past Awakens’ is in the Wonthaggi library in hard copy or e-book.

Purchase a copy: from the ‘Victorian Historical Society’ online orders.

Avenue Bookstore Richmond.

Online: Amazon/Barns&Noble



Book cover












Richmond House and Shop



Maria

Source: http://gippsland.com/

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