We’ll take a view to the other side of the world this month, Australia to be exact, which is where I am.

Remember Nevil Shute’s story about the beginnings of the end? On the Beach has never really gone out of style for its gritty depiction of what’s next after the nuclear bomb. Jill Ker Conway, former president of Smith College, grew up in Australia, presenting her early years in the autobiographical The Road from Coorain, followed by True North.

Marcus Zusack wrote the stunning story in tribute to his parents who emigrated from Germany, The Book Thief, but he has also depicted the everyday pains and gains of growing up in his other novels.

Try any one of these, either authored or set in Australia, and you’re in for a very different view of the world, one which still places Aussies at a bit of a remove from our ordinary news cycles. If you want to stay in touch with local goings on, just head to the Libraries and check out Andover activities. Go for it!