Robin Brown

Cooma Skies Robin Brown

"Cooma Skies" is a light-hearted novel set in Cooma, New South Wales, in the 1960s. It tells the story of Jill from her early teenage years to adulthood and the two loves in her life, Johnny who plays in a band, and Bart, the strong quiet achiever who excels at public speaking. Jill has many talents herself, academically and in the arts with her love of singing and performing that sees her star in school musicals and eventually in a national talent quest. Her friend Cecilia provides her with many enjoyable days on their family farm and Cecilia's mother, an artist and songwriter, is a source of inspiration to her. The novel is set in the unusual Australian climate where teenagers enjoy both snow skiing and swimming for sport, and although Jill finds her acclimatisation to Cooma difficult in the beginning the town soon endears itself to her. All seems to be going well for Jill with her singing when a personal crisis strikes that was an all too frequent happening for many teenagers in the 60s. Will Jill survive it and win the talent quest and find happiness with the real love of her life? The novel is aimed at teenagers but also young adults and baby boomers who might be nostalgic about reading a book set in the 60s.