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The Rarest Thing
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It’s 1966, and a mountain pygmy possum – a species that scientists considered to be long-extinct – is discovered in the Victorian High Country and transported to Melbourne where newspapers dub it ‘the world’s rarest creature’.
Thirty-year-old Dr Katharine Wynter is a palaeontologist who’s more comfortable with ancient bones than live human beings, particularly men - an exot ...more
Thirty-year-old Dr Katharine Wynter is a palaeontologist who’s more comfortable with ancient bones than live human beings, particularly men - an exot ...more
Paperback, Special Gift Edition C Format available from www.lomandrapress.com.au , 280 pages
Published
November 1st 2016
by Lomandra Press http://www.lomandrapress.com.au
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My View:
For this review I will try something a little different – I will start with the cover and work through the elements of the book I enjoyed - and I did enjoy this read.
To begin with I was approached by the author Deborah O’Brien to see if I was interested in receiving a copy of her latest book and perhaps reviewing it on my blog. This began a series of communications where I was introduced to the lovely Deborah, her new project and the mountain pygmy possum. As a book reviewer and blogger ...more
For this review I will try something a little different – I will start with the cover and work through the elements of the book I enjoyed - and I did enjoy this read.
To begin with I was approached by the author Deborah O’Brien to see if I was interested in receiving a copy of her latest book and perhaps reviewing it on my blog. This began a series of communications where I was introduced to the lovely Deborah, her new project and the mountain pygmy possum. As a book reviewer and blogger ...more

The Rarest Thing, is a mountain pygmy possum, considered extinct but discovered in the High C0untry of Victoria. Deborah O’Brien has written a lovely story centred around this discovery. The standout cover, the settings, the characters and the storytelling all drew me in. There is so much to like about this book. Highly recommended.

A cute little snaggletooth possum is the catalyst for an expedition through the mountains, a journey of self-discovery and a blossoming romance.
The character's and story felt so real that I had to check the author's note at the end to find out which bits were truth and which were fiction. I enjoyed spending time with the timid heroine and seeing her grow. She was someone I could imagine being friends with. I loved the Aussie setting, a glimpse into life in Victoria in the 60s.
I reviewed a compl ...more
The character's and story felt so real that I had to check the author's note at the end to find out which bits were truth and which were fiction. I enjoyed spending time with the timid heroine and seeing her grow. She was someone I could imagine being friends with. I loved the Aussie setting, a glimpse into life in Victoria in the 60s.
I reviewed a compl ...more

Such a lovely gentle story with growth and empowerment for both main characters. Virtually read in one sitting.

Got my hands on a review copy and was transported 50 years into the past on an adventure into the Victorian High Country. I was equally intrigued by all three journeys of the main characters: Scott King, Katharine Wynter and the pygmy possum.
A great read that captures something seldom felt in this age of iPhones and Google: a sense of discovery.
A great read that captures something seldom felt in this age of iPhones and Google: a sense of discovery.

The discovery of the rare, considered extinct, mountain pygmy possum in the picturesque region of Victoria’s High Country, is the focus of Deborah O’Brien’s new book, The Rarest Thing.
The Rarest Thing features main female protagonist Katharine Wynter. Katharine is a woman ahead of her time. A deeply intelligent, talented and passionate thirty year old, palaeontologist Katharine finds herself in the Victoria High Country region, searching for the mountain pygmy possum in the flesh. Her trip to th ...more
The Rarest Thing features main female protagonist Katharine Wynter. Katharine is a woman ahead of her time. A deeply intelligent, talented and passionate thirty year old, palaeontologist Katharine finds herself in the Victoria High Country region, searching for the mountain pygmy possum in the flesh. Her trip to th ...more

Sometimes beauties rich and rare are out of reach, sometimes they are hidden in plain sight. To see them all you need to do is focus.....
Palaeontology in 2016 conjures up images of Walking with Dinosaurs, Jurassic World and David Attenborough but in this 1966 setting the term has not been buffed by Hollywood to be readily recognised. Dr Katharine Wynter - Scaredy Kat to her two younger sisters - has found an academic niche in which to retreat for the past eight years, safe in the realm of extinc ...more
Palaeontology in 2016 conjures up images of Walking with Dinosaurs, Jurassic World and David Attenborough but in this 1966 setting the term has not been buffed by Hollywood to be readily recognised. Dr Katharine Wynter - Scaredy Kat to her two younger sisters - has found an academic niche in which to retreat for the past eight years, safe in the realm of extinc ...more

A month ago an author I'd never heard of sent me an advanced reader copy of her new novel, The Rarest Thing.
The first thing that struck me was the exquisite cover photograph depicting the breathtakingly beautiful Victorian alps in the area around Mount Hotham and Mount Feathertop. This cover is a clue to the story within, a story which I found utterly fascinating.
Meticulously researched and with fine attention to detail, this is not only the story of a tiny endangered possum which makes its ho ...more
The first thing that struck me was the exquisite cover photograph depicting the breathtakingly beautiful Victorian alps in the area around Mount Hotham and Mount Feathertop. This cover is a clue to the story within, a story which I found utterly fascinating.
Meticulously researched and with fine attention to detail, this is not only the story of a tiny endangered possum which makes its ho ...more

You will almost certainly judge this book by its cover - and you'll be right!
'The Rarest Thing' is a beautifully crafted book, exquisitely designed, and such a pleasure to read. The cover pics are truly apposite, and transport the reader into the heart of the action, Victoria's sublime High Country.
And if a superb dining experience at a restaurant is enhanced by perfect table settings, refined ambience and mannerly service, so a good read is enriched by fine papers, delighting fonts and layo ...more

“The Rarest Thing” is set in Australia during the late 1960’s, an era of simpler but uneasy times, having said that, this book is timeless as it delves into issues that are always relevant.
Who doesn’t love a romantic story set against the Victorian High Country.
Nestled between the cover photos of those stunning mountain ranges, we find ourselves waiting for meek and mild Paleontologist Katherine to blossom, to discover herself, whilst searching for the cute, elusive and thought to be extinct, B ...more
Who doesn’t love a romantic story set against the Victorian High Country.
Nestled between the cover photos of those stunning mountain ranges, we find ourselves waiting for meek and mild Paleontologist Katherine to blossom, to discover herself, whilst searching for the cute, elusive and thought to be extinct, B ...more

I so enjoyed reading my review copy of The Rarest Thing, I could not put it down loved the characters and how the story unfolded plus the fact that the story had the real component regarding the search for the rare possum. The trip back in my memories to the 60's when I was a teenager and the places I had been was a joy to read. A great read.
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Deborah O’Brien is an Australian author best known to date, for novels such as 'Mr Chen’s Emporium' and 'The Trivia Man'. Deborah’s latest release 'The Rarest Thing', published through her own imprint Lomandra Press, is an intriguing story about vulnerability, self-discovery, and love.
The story, set in 1966, revolves around thirty-year-old Dr. Katharine Wynter a shy, but curious paleontologist who is excited by the recent discovery of a rare mountain pygmy possum in the Victorian High Country – ...more
The story, set in 1966, revolves around thirty-year-old Dr. Katharine Wynter a shy, but curious paleontologist who is excited by the recent discovery of a rare mountain pygmy possum in the Victorian High Country – ...more

I very rarely read romance of any kind, and especially not the new craze that is rural romance. However, when Deborah approached me about her latest novel, I was intrigued enough to give it a shot on the strength of another novel of hers I’d read in the past which allowed for romance in a historical setting with a real sense of pathos and authenticity. Deborah is an author who doesn’t take the easy story-telling route and I knew that any romance story she told would be complex with fully fleshed
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Katharine Wynter is a highly educated paleontologist; a smart, beautiful, young woman with her career and future ahead of her when something dark happens to shake her confidence. George is a mountain pygmy possum, considered to be long extinct and only recorded in fossilised form. The rarest animal in the world in 1966 is found running about at a Ski Lodge in the Victorian High Country and is transported to Melbourne and put into captivity to be studied. Katharine gets an equally rare opportunit
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Every so often you stumble upon a book that is quite different to what you expect. The title of Deborah O’Brien’s latest book caught my attention, and I picked it up, eager to read, after having enjoyed The Trivia Man so much.
The Rarest Thing rates up there with one of my favourite reads for the year. It is delightfully different and refreshing in many ways. The settings in the rugged Australian Alps and on the campus of Sydney University when women were still perhaps regarded as inferior to the ...more
The Rarest Thing rates up there with one of my favourite reads for the year. It is delightfully different and refreshing in many ways. The settings in the rugged Australian Alps and on the campus of Sydney University when women were still perhaps regarded as inferior to the ...more

(Advance Copy) Once again Deborah O'Brien has created characters so real and endearing that their presence lingers long after you have finished the book. I could hardly put this book down which has many layers of interest and an important conservation message. Inspired by a real event, the discovery of the thought to be extinct Mountain Pygmy Possum, an inspiring story of transformation has been tenderly crafted. Not only is the tiny possum brought to life but so is the majestic High Country of
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Much like the elusive mountain pygmy possum, this book is a rarity - a great read!
Deborah O'Brien has created unforgettable characters in Katharine and Scott, and her latest novel will effortlessly transport you to Australia in the 1960s.
The Rarest Thing will quickly find a place in your heart. ...more
Deborah O'Brien has created unforgettable characters in Katharine and Scott, and her latest novel will effortlessly transport you to Australia in the 1960s.
The Rarest Thing will quickly find a place in your heart. ...more

Set against the backdrop of Australia in the 1960’s is this beautiful story of an expedition to discover another Burramys or pygmy possum in the wild. Thought to be extinct, the discovery of a live creature creates waves within the scientific community, and begins a journey that will change the lives of two lonely people.
Nature photographer, Scott King, is an unusual hero. He appears to have it all; a glamorous career that sees him travelling around the world photographing both wild animals and ...more
Nature photographer, Scott King, is an unusual hero. He appears to have it all; a glamorous career that sees him travelling around the world photographing both wild animals and ...more
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Deborah O’Brien is an Australian writer, visual artist and teacher. She is the author of four novels for Penguin Random House: the bestselling 'Mr Chen’s Emporium', its sequels, 'The Jade Widow' and 'A Place of Her Own', plus 'The Trivia Man'.
Her latest novel, 'The Rarest Thing' is set in the Victorian High Country in 1966 and is published by Lomandra Press. The signed gift edition print book is ...more
Her latest novel, 'The Rarest Thing' is set in the Victorian High Country in 1966 and is published by Lomandra Press. The signed gift edition print book is ...more
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