"My body is shaking, uncontrollably shuddering. Everything's rattling, crashing down. I'm choking on dust. I can't breathe... I'm coughing, choking. Sal's screaming ..."On the night of July 30th 1997 a landslide shattered the tranquility of Thredbo Village, sweeping away two ski lodges and burying 19 people beneath tonnes of concrete and mud. In the days that followed, the world mourned as rescuers dragged body after body from the rubble.But out of tragedy ...

On the night of July 30th 1997 a landslide shattered the tranquility of Thredbo Village, sweeping away two ski lodges and burying 19 people beneath tonnes of concrete and mud. In the days that followed, the world mourned as rescuers dragged body after body from the rubble. But out of tragedy sprang an amazing story of survival. Stuart Diver, whose young wife Sally died beside him in the first moments of the slide, had clung to life buried beneath a concrete slab for 65 freezing hours. This...

A true story of a neurosurgeon and a pianistIn 2001 the brilliant young concert pianist Aaron McMillan was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour and given six weeks to live. He was just 24 years old.He underwent 12 hours of emergency surgery; days later he was back at the piano, preparing to perform.Years later, he was still performing.His doctor was Charlie Teo, one of Australia's most celebrated and controversial neurosurgeons. Charli...

Alan Atkinson has worked for the ABC for more than 20 years and is currently Day Editor in the Adelaide ABC newsroom. He has also worked for newspapers in Australia and overseas, including the Sydney Morning Herald and the Adelaide Advertiser, the London Guardian and the Scotsman in Edinburgh. He is married with two children - his family was with him in Bali on holiday when he was woken with news of the bombing. He was one of the first Western journalists on the scene. His radio and tV bro...

On 12 October 2002, the beautiful island of Bali was hit by a deadly terrorist attack. It claimed the lives of 202 people and left 240 others severely injured. Nicole McLean had been in Bali for just six hours when she was caught in one of the explosions. That night she lost her arm and was left fighting for her life.This is Nicole's extraordinary journey. Shown through her eyes, and through the eyes of friends and family who watched helplessly while the horror unfolded before them...

Heartbreakingly honest, moving and inspiring, Chloe Maxwell and Mat Rogers share their journey of discovery with their autistic son, Max.'It feels terrible for your son to want to hurt you so bad that you bleed, and to look into his beautiful eyes and see nothing but hatred. What mother could deal with that? Not me, that's for sure. I loved my son, but I was no longer sure whether I was the right mother for this job.'Chloe Maxwell seemed to be living the dream: discovered at sixteen...

The unique and inspiring story of a boy born with the odds against him and the family whose love and support helped him overcome incredible hardships.Robert Hoge was born with a giant tumour on his forehead, severely distorted facial features and legs that were twisted and useless. His mother refused to look at her son, let alone bring him home. But home he went, to a life that, against the odds, was filled with joy, optimism and boyhood naughtiness.Home fo...

In 1999, at the age of twenty-two, Arabella Joseph suddenly found herself in a psychiatric hospital. She remembered being driven there from the police station by her mother. She also remembered the police telling her the things she had done over the last month. That she had made hoax phone calls pleading for help, speaking with the voice of a child. But for Arabella the past month was filled with deep dark holes in her memory.In hospital the truth is confronted, that an incident wi...

Unflinching in its honesty, My Journey is the extraordinary memoir of Jim Stynes: Irishman, footballer, Brownlow Medallist, Reach co-founder and former president of Melbourne Football Club whose very public battle with cancer touched the lives of everyone who knew him.When Jim was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 43, he was given nine months to live. The diagnosis caught him by surprise – and he didn't have time for illness. He was a busy father, husband, brother, mento...

In December 2011, Lauren (“LoLo”) Scruggs, a 23-year-old fashion journalist, suffered a sudden injury that made headlines around the world. She had been on a short flight to look at Christmas lights and, upon exiting the small plane, was hit by the still-moving propeller blade. A frantic 911 call, several major surgeries, and thousands of prayers later: Lauren lived. But she lost her left hand and left eye. And she had to face some incredibly difficult questions: What kind of future wi...

At 3:58 in the morning of June 5, 2002, Ed and Lois Smart awoke to the sound of their nine-year-old daughter Mary Katherine’s frightened voice. “She’s gone. Elizabeth is gone.” At first they thought she was having a bad dream about her older sister, but Mary Katherine’s seeming bad dream would quickly become their worst nightmare. Their daughter Elizabeth was gone.They were not sure why the media picked up on Elizabeth’s story, but after their daughter was kidnapped she became the ...

A real-life 'The Farmer Wants a Wife'; the true story of how a city girl found love and a whole new life in the outback.What really happens when a city girl becomes a farmer's wife? If you're a fan of Rachael treasure, you'll love this memoir: a real-life outback love story that proves truth is even better than fiction ... A footloose city slicker who couldn't tell a bull from a cow was hardly the ideal candidate to answer an ad for a governess on a Mackay cattle station. But Alice ...