TRAVEL: a tour of WA’s Kimberley and Roaring ’20s magic in the mountains

Other People’s Houses, Hilary McPhee, MUP

This is the second volume of writer and publisher Hilary McPhee’s memoirs, but it works in isolation and is engrossing. Hilary’s story starts with a former school hockey teammate calling her out of the blue with a curious message. Hilary may hear from someone in Amman, Jordan about a writing project. At the time Hilary was bruised in the wake of her marriage break up and was uncharacteristically enticed by the prospect of flying to the Middle East, which then came her way. She was to write the memoir of Prince Hussan. Only when she gets to Amman, she discovers that despite liking the Prince, persuading him to open his life in print is near impossible. Honest and fascinating.

INSIDE OUT by Demi Moore, HarperCollins

Demi Moore’s painfully candid autobiography fills in a good deal of the blanks in the makeup of the Hollywood star and thricemarried mum. Both Demi’s parents were alcoholics and she says her most magical moment, age five, was when she was in hospital in a bright clean room with “real grown-ups” caring for her when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening kidney condition. Demi’s early life from this moment on is a mess – quitting school, leaving home at 16, nude modelling and ending up in rehab. But somehow she managed to shine. In between there’s a great deal of heartache which Demi doesn’t flinch from in this no-holds-barred read.

THE MEMORY POOL by Therese Spruhan, NewSouth

Swimming champ Shane Gould, actor Bryan Brown, award -winning novelist Trent Dalton and actress/ director Leah Purcell are just a few of the 28 contributors to this charming compilation of personal stories on the subject of the importance of swimming, surf and beaches to the Aussie dream.