Details
Author name: Jackie Randall
Book title: Kidd’s River
Genre: Australian historical fiction
Launch date: 14.05.2026
Website: Jackie Randall
Buy links
Summary
Henry Kidd thought the Hawkesbury would be a new beginning. Instead, it becomes a fight for survival.
Alone in a harsh new colony, Henry is forced into brutal work until a rough ex-convict, Tom Biggers, gives him a second chance. But when Henry is falsely accused and cast out again, everything seems lost.
Then the river rises.
As floodwaters tear through the settlement, Henry is thrown back into danger, rescuing families from rooftops and children from the raging current. In the chaos, enemies return, truths are uncovered and Henry must decide who he can trust.
A gripping middle-grade adventure based on a true story, Kidd’s River is about courage, survival and finding where you belong.
Let's talk about it
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I love the feel of pen on paper, and I love growing my own vegetables.
How difficult was it for you to write this book? Did you face any obstacles?
Looking back at the lives people once lived and the struggles they faced, I don’t think life has really changed all that much. Friendship, courage, tragedy and survival are still part of the human experience. Young or old, we all face these things and write our own stories.
Do you always write in this genre or do you like to break out of the box?
I love researching and writing historical fiction, but I’d also love to break into literary fiction.
What are your writing habits or idiosyncrasies?
I write early in the day best.
What would you do differently next time?
If I was rich, I’d hire a great artist to do my covers.
With hindsight, what would you say to yourself as a fledgling writer?
Just keep writing.
If you worked with a professional editor, what was the experience like?
I’ve had a few beta reader experiences, including with AJC, and found it helpful to have fresh eyes on my work.
What’s next for your writing?
I have a medieval historical fiction I’m hoping to get published and I’m working on a sequel to Elliot.
Author Bio
Jackie Randall’s other novels include ‘Emelin’ (MG 2016), ‘The Aria of the Ocean’ in ‘Dust Makers’ (YA 2022), ‘Only Two’ (YA 2023), and ‘Elliot – The First Book’ (MG 2025). Jackie’s works have been shortlisted in the 2017 Ampersand Prize and the 2017 CBCA Aspiring Writers Mentorship. In 2020, she was a winner of the ASA Award Mentorship Program. In 2024, ‘Only Two’ was longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Originally from England, Jackie now lives on a property in the Hawkesbury region, Australia.
