Author Description

Oh! Brother! Against all Odds! is a work of historical fiction based on facts. It follows the life and journey of the author's great-grandparents, John & Mary Williams, from Birmingham, England in 1858. Crossing the vast seas in an American-built wooden clipper ship - The Red Jacket - the free settlers make it safely to Port Phillip, Australia with their two young sons. They experience the goldfields near Ballarat, endure great hardships, death and destruction as well as love and laughter in an ever-changing world. The author recalls his adolescent years growing up in Victoria, watching the automobiles taking over from the horse and cart during his family's market gardening business. There is family drama, lies and deception as they survive against the odds.