Winter Journey

Winter Journey, Diane’s first work of fiction, is now available in HarperCollins's Perennial edition. This includes a section at the back giving personal details about Diane, what inspired her to write this novel, how she researched forensic dentistry, and how all the strands came together.

A mother’s silence, a village with a terrible secret, and a woman’s journey to discover the truth….

Halina Shore is a Polish-born forensic dentist who lives in Australia. When she travels to Poland to take part in the investigation of a war crime, she finds herself at the centre of a bitter struggle in a community that has been divided by a grim legacy.

As the investigation proceeds, her professional assignment becomes a confronting personal odyssey as the truth about her own past begins to emerge.

Inspired by a true incident that took place in Poland in 1941 but was concealed for sixty years, Diane Armstrong’s gripping novel is a detective story that is part mystery, part history and part forensic investigation. It is also a tale of love, loss and unimaginable sacrifice.

Winter Journey was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Literary Award. It has been translated into Polish and is now on sale in Poland by Nowy Swiat publishers, under the title, Podroz Zimowa. It has been published in Israel and translated into Hebrew.

Praise for Winter Journey

A consummate writer at the top of her form. ..remarkable for her narrative dexterity and emotional resonance. A bold adventure of a novel…. a fine fictional debut from a writer who’s already made her mark.

Sara Dowse, The Canberra Times

A cleverly crafted mystery… a good story, well told. Armstrong’s skill in weaving an elaborate fabric out of her characters and subject matter stand her in good stead…the bleak wintry landscapes of the Polish countryside are vividly captured.

Andrew Riemer, Sydney Morning Herald

A complex and often heart-and-gut-wrenching novel. The book intelligently explores the need to confront and acknowledge evil before it can be exorcised. Armstrong’s supremely confronting basic material is crucial to our understanding of ourselves as ‘warped timber’ humanity.

Katharine England, Adelaide Advertiser

The best and worst of the human spirit are dredged up in this profoundly moving, compelling and superbly written story.

Carol George, Australian Women’s Weekly

Diane Armstrong has done it again with an absorbing page-turner…an intriguing yarn that would make an excellent movie.

Stan Marks, Australian Jewish News

Winter Journey, a novel

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia

ISBN: 073227694 2