{"product_id":"9781542755160","title":"The Old Balmain House","description":"Sophie vanished - where did she go? For 100 years nobody knows.\u003cp\u003eA photo of 8 year old Sophie and an antique perfume bottle are found in the fireplace of an old house. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story of a Balmain family over 170 years. Finally they uncover what happened.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet around beautiful Sydney Harbour this is a story of this place and its people, an imagined history from early Australia to the present day\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWho was Sophie and what happened to her? On buying an old weatherboard house in Balmain, Sydney, we discover her photo, dated 1900-1908, long hidden, along with a small perfume bottle in an old fireplace. Then we discover that Sophie disappeared with a childhood friend in 1908 and was never seem again, leaving a trail of sadness through generations of her family. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book tracks the journey of the discovery of Sophie and her family, from their first arrival in Sydney, over five generations of the family, until the mystery is finally laid to rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a story of loss and grief, mixed with joy, which passes through the successive generations of a family. The way the family deals with unresolved tragedy and finally the way their love transcends time is the story from which the real Sophie emerges.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGraham Wilson, the author, lived in the house in Balmain around which this story is based for seven years, before moving to Millers Point. This is his first novel. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGraham has previously written a family memoir, \"Children of Arnhem's Kaleidoscope\" which describes his childhood, growing up in a aboriginal community in Western Arnhem Land. This is also available from this site.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CreateSpace Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48210879316208,"sku":"9781542755160","price":13.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781542755160_p0.jpg?v=1763749496","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781542755160","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}