Clean Start

Here is a remarkable novel with superb characterization, wonderful atmosphere, and a story that will resonate with readers long after they have finished it. Set in Paris in the 1960s, where the vestiges of its storied Bohemian past still barely cling.

Patricia Margaret Page was born in Brisbane, Australia and moved to the South Pacific where her family had copra plantations. She was educated at boarding school and university in Sydney. After graduating she travelled to Europe and while working in London visited Paris for the weekend, refused to go back on the Monday and is still there. Soon after her arrival she met and married Alan Page, an English sportswriter. They have two daughters. In 1999 Allen&Unwin, Australia, published Clean Start, her novel of Paris in the 60s. Academy Chicago Publishers brought it out in hardback in 2002 and then in paperback in 2009. Kirkus Reviews praised the strength of its characters and her description of the city as an artists' wonderland. In 2004 Pandanus Books, Australian National University, published Across the Magic Line her story of travelling back to the enchanting islands of Fiji and recapturing memories of her British colonial childhood. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Book Review were enthusiastic, calling it an enthralling book for those who wanted to know more about the Fiji Islands.