By the Book is Ramona Koval's love letter to books and writing, a tribute to the stories that have changed and enriched her life Ramona Koval is one of Australia's best-loved broadcasters, having spent sixteen years presenting 'The Book Show' on Radio National An internationally respected literary journalist, Ramona has interviewed the best writers in Australia and overseas Born to Yiddish-speaking survivors of the Holocaust and brought up in Melbourne, books were Ramona's lifeline from a young age Her mother famously never censored Ramona's reading, even buying her ten-year-old daughter a copy of the Kama Sutra when asked to In 1995, Ramona won the Order of Australia Media Award for her work on Radio National This gorgeous paperback edition is the perfect gift for anyone who loves books Ramona has legions of dedicated fans across Australia Author lives in St Kilda, Melbourne

"Just when Leah Rubin is enjoying some peace, her mother is back, arguing from the grave. Leah's father, very much alive, sends her pages of bad jokes in lieu of conversation. With her life now in turmoil, burdened by a moody psychiatrist and disapproving daughters, Leah realises the only way forward is back, tackling a long trail of unfinished business. Samovar is a story of unquiet souls, both ghostly and real, wrestling with the silence and pain of their own history. Biting, warm and extremely funny, it is a book both as intimate and as universal as the family itself"--Back cover.