In a small town like any other small town around Australia live the Maloneys. They are a fifth-generation Australian family of Irish Catholic descent who are struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. The Maloneys are a family you won't forget: a strong mother, a father broken by war, three boys and two girls, one of whom has an illegitimate daughter. Each of their lives is changed forever by the four fires – passion, religion, warfare and fire itself. Four Fires is a story of the power of love and the triumph of the human spirit against the odds. 'Not since writing The Power of One have I felt this close to a book.' Bryce Courtenay 'It's a thumping saga of small-town rural Australian family (with) a cracking pace … but be warned: construct yourself a holiday reading platform or that deckchair will collapse.' Weekend Australian