David Gormley-O'Brien's bookshop

Ashes and Sakura - front cover

Set against the remote Pacific island of Morotai and the ruins of postwar Japan at war’s end, Ashes and Sakura follows Tom Darcy, a young Australian soldier serving with the British Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan after the Second World War. As he encounters the devastation of a defeated nation and forms unexpected bonds with those on the other side of the conflict, the novel explores war, memory, love and reconciliation. Spanning the final days of the Pacific War and its aftermath, it is a richly researched story of hardship, humanity and the long road to peace.

Published 2025 with maps, photos, and family tree.

Available from author in paperback or EPUB format.

An Attractive Naivety - Australia as a new nation in a complex world, Revised Edition

An Attractive Naivety is an epic work of Australian historical fiction spanning the first half of the twentieth century. Through the lives of ordinary men and women, it traces the nation’s journey from Federation and plague to Depression, war, and uneasy peace. Interweaving fictional characters with real events, the novel explores the humour, hardship, courage and contradictions that shaped modern Australia.

Revised edition (2026) with maps, photos, and family tree.

Available from author in paperback or EPUB format.