Hey Gabrielle! I stumbled upon your page while looking at another Aussie author’s page (Michelle Cooper).
I read your About and just want to say thank you for believing in yourself and not giving up when those 6 publishers rejected your first novel.
I first read The Garden of Empress Cassia when I was in primary school (year 5 or 6) and it became one of my favourite books. It’s so rare to find Australian novels about Chinese people (I’m Chinese myself) and the story blew me away from the first page.
Your book started my love of reading and left a deep impression.
I’m in my first year of university now and I still remember the beautiful imagery you used to describe the garden.
Thank you for writing such an amazing read!