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Published on 01 July 2025
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Genre: Biography
Reviewer: Tish
Why I chose this book:
Non-Fiction Prize Winner, Book of the Year, Melbourne Writer’s Festival
Quick Summary:
The Blaine family had no idea when they opened their home to a clutch of foster children, that their lives would be forever changed with both a new all encompassing, protective love for their charges and a campaign of menace and unhinged obsession from the children’s biological parents.
Self-proclaimed prophet Michael Shelley and his wife Mary stalked the family across Queensland, while also running a campaign of intimidation against public officials (including two QLD premiers) in a dogged attempt to return their children to their religious cult of two.
This story of religious obsession and invective is balanced by the love and humour of the Blaine family, and the final impression is one of warmth, humour and an incredible family bond.
Who should read this?
This is a heartwarming and unpretentious story of a regular Australian family caught up in a really challenging situation and the way they confront it with extraordinary positivity and empathy.
Read-Alikes:
The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil,