Author(s): Helen Edwards

Teen/Young Adult Fiction

It's 1998 and Clara and her parents are staying at the Mount Buffalo Chalet for the centenary celebrations. It couldn't be more different from their last visit-they were a family of four then. Now they're just three separate people, orbiting around each other while trying to navigate their overwhelming grief. With her twin Darius gone, Clara has no reference point anymore, no guide. It's like being lost in the bush without a compass. Without him, she doesn't really know who she is.After a strange night, Clara wakes up in 1893. There she meets Alice, a girl who lives within the fern-filled valleys. To her surprise, Clara recognises Alice-knows more about her than Alice knows about herself. She is Guide Alice, the girl considered a rebel of her time, an adventurous non-conformist who spent much of her life boldly leading people along rugged trails between granite tors and misty mountain peaks.The 1890s were a difficult era in Australia's history. The country is in the grip of a terrible Depression, and desperate people can be dangerous. When Alice's life is threatened, Clara must rediscover the courage she has always had, and become the girl she was always meant to be. When help is needed, Clara will be the first to dive right in... Bringing in themes of early feminism and issues such as bullying, never being a bystander, managing grief and finding your courage, this engaging middle grade timeslip story draws on the true history of Mount Buffalo and the incredible role the Manfield family-and Guide Alice in particular-played in the preservation of the National Park and the development of tourism in the Mount Buffalo region.