Vicki Ostenfeld was born in Tasmania, Australia, and lived there until she was 40. She now lives in Denmark with her husband whom she met in Cairns, Queensland. After moving to Denmark, Vicki attended Aarhus University where she obtained a Bachelor of English degree and a master’s degree. Vicki taught English at a Danish adult education high school for 17 years before retiring in 2022 when she began writing her first novel.
As the tumultuous tide of the Second World War ebbs, Frank and Amy stand on the precipice of change, their futures hanging in the balance. In the waning days of conflict, this sergeant of the Australian Army and his counterpart, an intrepid Army nurse, are compelled to confront the daunting choices that await them as peace promises to restore normalcy. With the cessation of war comes the inevitability of their separation: Amy yearns to embrace a new beginning in Sydney, with dreams of donning the physician’s coat, while Frank envisions a pastoral life in Tasmania, cultivating world-class Merino wool on his family’s farm. The question that looms over them is one of compromise: can their individual aspirations weave together to form a shared tapestry of life? Their quest for answers is fraught with dilemmas, knowing that each step taken will etch permanent marks on their lives and those of future generations. Spanning half a century, Another Time is a rich tapestry of familial ties, an emotional odyssey through love and loss, fidelity, and betrayal, set against the rapidly shifting moral landscape of the 20th Century, forever altered in the aftermath of conflict.
In 1907, Sylvia’s mother, worn out by hard work, poverty and giving birth to six children, dies unexpectedly. Sylvia’s father forces her to leave school at twelve years of age to look after her brothers and sister, crushing her ambition of becoming a teacher. Against her will, Sylvia spends the next seven years caring for her family and denying her own dreams and hopes for the future until she finds herself attracted to George, a refined, handsome Englishman. Even though she has sworn never to marry and end up like her mother, Sylvia begins to contemplate a future with George, but it is 1914, and the world is about to be thrust into the turmoil of World War One, which will change the world forever. George, determined to fight for his country, joins the Australian Imperial Forces, leaving Sylvia behind in Tasmania. Will George and Sylvia’s relationship survive the upheaval and changes brought about by the war, or does fate have other plans for them? “Sylvia” is the gripping tale of a woman’s fight to realise her ambitions against a background of poverty, war and change. A story of love, family, loss and hope.
I am very pleased to announce that I have just signed a contract with Austin Macauley for the publication of my new book, which is simply titled "Sylvia". "Sylvia" is a prequel to my first book, "Anot ........
I was over halfway through writing "Another Time" when I stumbled upon this photo of three Australians from WW2 in an Australian Defense Forces' calendar. I was immediately struck by how much th ........
I recently visited St Marys in Tasmania where much of my book "Another Time" is set. The town hasn't changed much in the many years since I left there to continue my education. This photo shows ........
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