What Lies Buried

A story of family secrets and misunderstandings, and the way in which they impact down the generations. Walter Blake's death brings a flood of memories to his two daughters. There is the question of what Walter and his wife buried in the garden. The notion of things being buried is also a metaphor for all kinds of issues including, art fraud, family feuds, and holocaust survival.What Lies Buried reaches back in time as the present generation of an Australian family digs up its past and uncovers secrets and misunderstandings. The story exposes uncomfortable truths, not just for the characters, but for readers unfamiliar with the experiences of some survivors of war who made their way to less threatening countries only to find that pockets of prejudice exist in all communities. The story also deals with the way a few early European settlers forged lasting friendships with indigenous Australians — an all too rare occurrence.History records much about families like the Wentworths who arrived in Australia already wealthy. What Lies Buried deals with the lives of less affluent free settlers who struggled through the nineteenth century to establish properties and build the wealth that was inherited by many rural families in the twentieth century.This is a story of the way family secrets and misunderstandings impact down the generations. The Blake family, owners of a grand property in rural New South Wales, is at the heart of all this, with Walter Blake's death bringing a flood of memories to his two daughters, one of whom has been estranged from him for many years. There is the question of what Walter, along with his second wife, Rachel, buried in the garden all those years ago, and the notion of things being buried is also a metaphor for all kinds of issues that have dogged the family over the years. This is a wide ranging tale that deals with, among other things, art fraud, family feuds, and the long term effects of war.A leading assessor, who recommended What Lies Buried for publication, described it as an interesting story populated by convincing characters and ‘a good read’.