Take a Trip with these Wonderful Travel-Themed Novels

Just because our passports are gathering dust doesn’t mean we can’t travel. Here are some recent reads that transported us away from the day-to-day.

The Prophets by Robert Jones Junior

The Prophets is an utterly stunning debut that gives readers a look into the terrible era of slavery while still offering an uplifting story of how bonds can be formed even in the hardest of circumstances. A must-read for 2021, it’s set in Mississippi and tells an unflinching story of forbidden love between two enslaved men whose relationship threatens all around them.

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson

Transporting readers to Baghdad, with mouth-watering cuisine, incredible history, a surprising art scene and bustling book markets, When the Apricots Bloom is a stunning debut by former foreign correspondent Gina Wilkinson, who lived in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

The Night Letters by Denise Leith

For five years, Australian doctor Sofia Raso has lived in Kabul’s vibrant Shaahir Square, working with Dr Jabril Aziz to support the local women. But when threatening night letters from the Taliban taunt the town, and young boys disappear from Jamal Mina, Kabul’s largest slum, Sofia can no longer remain silent. The Night Letters is an exquisite story about the incredible resilience of finding yourself in the unknown.

The Champagne War by Fiona McIntosh

Another spectacular novel from Fiona McIntosh. From the killing fields of Ypres to the sun-kissed vineyards of rural France, The Champagne War is a heart-stopping adventure about the true power of love and hope to light the way during war.

Lana’s War by Anita Abriel

From the bestselling author of The Light After the War comes this unforgettable story of a young woman waging her own war against the Nazis as a spy for the Resistance on the French Riviera.

The Godmothers by Monica McInerney

Set in Australia, Scotland, Ireland and England, The Godmothers is a moving and perceptive story about a young woman and her two watchful godmothers.

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle

One of the big hits of 2020, The Girl in the Mirror is brilliant – a highly polished, perfectly paced psychological thriller. Part of the book takes place on a yacht off Thailand…

The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy

From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened. Set in the not too distant future, climate change has caused a mass extinction of animals. Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.

The Grand Tour by Olivia Wearne

Ruby and Angela embark on a Grey Nomads road trip around Australia. The Grand Tour is a warm, funny, sharply observed story about aging disgracefully and loving the one you’re with. There were many laugh out loud moments, and a few hours of pure escapism.

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

All Our Shimmering Skies is a story about gifts that fall from the sky, curses we dig from the earth and the secrets we bury inside ourselves. It is an odyssey of true love and grave danger, of darkness and light, of bones and blue skies. It is a love letter to Australia and an ode to the art of looking up – a buoyant, beautiful and magical novel, abrim with warmth, wit and wonder.

Tiny White Lies by Fiona Palmer

Fiona Palmer consistently delivers. Tiny White Lies is pure escapism, pulling all the right heartstrings, adding a dash of humour, and wrapping it all up in great storytelling. You’ll be transported to the rustic cabins overlooking the Indian Ocean in Western Australia – it was the next best thing to actually being there.

And watch out in February for…

The Moroccan Daughter by Deborah Rodriguez

Deborah Rodriguez is the author of international bestsellers The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and Island on the Edge of the World. In her next novel she takes us to Morocco: a captivating country of honor and tradition. And, for her four fabulous heroines, a land of secrets and revelations.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable novel of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places. Books, libraries, Paris… What more do we want?