James Moloney is one of Australia’s best-known writers for children and young adults (A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove, Dougy, Kill the Possum). He grew up in Brisbane, coming of age in the 1970s during the period when the Country Party (later the National Party) government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen dominated Queensland politics. It was a time of unrest and frustration for young people who could see the dawning of social and political freedom elsewhere. This experience inspired the writing of The Tower Mill, his first novel for adult readers.

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