The Dream Seekers

Book excerpt: Father Beitz has a dream. Will it become a reality? Patricia Shaw returns to the austere and beautiful Northern Territory of the 1870s in The Dream Seekers, a vivid tale of conflict and passion. The perfect read for fans of Tricia McGill and Sarah Lark. 'Shaw gets it all right' - Publishers Weekly From his home in 1870s Hamburg, Father Beitz plans to pioneer an idyllic German community in faraway Australia, in a backwoods hamlet, barely settled, called Bundaberg. He soon finds other dreamers eager to join him, thrilled by the prospect of a sunny clime, cheap arable land, and their own Lutheran society. But when they arrive they find the land, bought for them by Father Beitz, is nothing but a jungle, and before long it seems the trials of their new home may force the community to disintegrate. As time passes, a combination of courage and determination carries the pioneers beyond their fears, but a new threat awaits. Only an elderly Aborigine mystic sees the evil that threatens them, but can he warn them in time? What readers are saying about The Dream Seekers: 'An emotionally uplifting read' 'This book is written with compassion, warmth and humour and indulges the reader in family affairs under the most dire circumstances' 'Patricia Shaw weaves her magic with many personalities, the intricate reasons why people migrate to the unknown, and intrigue - yes there is also a murder...'