Accidental Siblings: Family Connections

After Jack Clapper's untimely death, his son Barry, and daughter-in-law, Felicity, remained under a cloud of suspicion. Jack had been very controlling and although he had promised to hand the Clapper's Cove farm over to his son one day, he still held the reins at age seventy-six. Felicity had also experienced issues with him.

Felicity and Barry both had fertility problems, and although treated, they didn't have any children. When Barry died suddenly, three young people in their early twenties attended his funeral. They'd recently learned Barry was their biological father, but only Ken, who closely resembled Barry, revealed his identity to Felicity on the day of the funeral.

The three half siblings didn't know of each other, and Barry died without knowing he'd fathered three children-Rose Louise, a motel manager; Ken, a farmer, and Luke, a landscape gardener. They were born to unrelated mothers in diverse circumstances and grew up in different towns. Each of them faced challenges growing up, as two of them were raised in single-parent families in an era when single mothers were expected to give up their babies for adoption.

They met each other while in their early twenties, but they, at first, were unaware they share the same father. One by one, Felicity learned of their existence-a ready-made family she'd always longed to have who welcomed her into their lives. Romance flourished and resulted in three marriages.

Felicity value-added to the Clapper's Cove farm by building holiday cottages for people with disabilities. When tragedy struck unexpectedly, the remaining half siblings learned of their relationship to Barry and provided family support to Felicity and one another.

Eventually, Felicity and Barry were exonerated of any involvement in Jack Clapper's death when the circumstances were revealed publicly in a surprising way.

Helen has lived in country towns, on a farm, and in the city; and has a passion for writing short stories and rhyming verse. She has won many prizes in both categories. After completing her schooling in a country High School in Western Victoria, Helen trained as a nurse at the Alfred hospital and afterwards worked in hospital theatres, or with premature babies in a Special Care Nursery, in large hospitals in Melbourne.

She also taught and practised Reflexology, has written a chapter in a Reflexology text, had articles in Reflexology magazines, and been a guest speaker at an International Reflexology Conference in Hawaii. She has completed several creative writing courses and a diploma of freelance travel writing and photography.

Eighteen of her poems have been professionally produced on a CD and 38 poems in a book entitled ’Homespun Poems from my Heart.＂

Helen always had a great love of words and corresponded with many pen friends and was a prolific reader as a child. She still reads books at every opportunity, especially enjoying medical and rural stories and a wide range of women’s fiction.

Now her three children have families of their own, Helen is excited to have the time to share her storehouse of memories and life experience. This novel combines elements of life in Rural Australia in the mid 60’s, woven around medical and interesting historic information, with unexpected direction changes along the way.