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Loreless Paperback – August 3, 2016
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…he had no way of knowing...
...it would change his life forever.
As the bus drove away from the roadhouse, he was disoriented. The hangover was brutal and his friends were nowhere to be found. He had two questions. Where was he and what was he going to do now?
The parched Australian desert stretched out for miles.
He was alone.
In his twenties, having barely survived his stag party, Billy is a young man with no sense of his tribal heritage or where he belonged in the world. And now he is lost in ways he can’t comprehend.
Then he saw it…
…a mysterious apparition across the road.
After a truck the size of a train had barrelled past, it was gone. Billy’s adventure was just beginning.
You’ll love this spiritual coming-of-age journey because each point along Billy's path of discovery is shrouded in mystery. It’s a literary masterpiece that will leave a mark on your soul.
Read Billy's adventure today.
- Print length262 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateAugust 3, 2016
- Dimensions5.25 x 0.66 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109492523000
- ISBN-13978-9492523006
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Your writing style is both unique and captivating- such a good read."
"A great story about about a transformational event in a man's life that leads him to his roots. Events like this are not able to be measured by scientific instruments, but I don't think that diminishes it's significance. Thank you."
"I loved this story and really like all its meanings and stories. Also, I could see this as inspirational as well, as it might persuade others to go back to their own roots! Overall this story was definitely worth reading! Awesome job!"
"This definitely deserves more recognition."
"Your character, Billy, is a reflection of the struggles that many people face. Often we will hit rock bottom, and for those that have the determination to question our actions and turn those actions into positives, that is where salvation can be realized. No, not everyone will experience Billy's path. But, there are many who have similar experiences and are making the same choices as Billy.I think that as a writer, you have the ability to plant ideas and questions into your readers thoughts, and spark memories of the manner in which they have dealt with situations in their own lives."
"Though Billy is fictitious, I'm rooting for him. Once again, well done!"
From the Author
At the time I was also interested in making music and a friend gave me a tip: anything you write you can sing, you only need a guitar. I taught myself a few basic chords, took my poem and put it to music. It became the first song I ever wrote.Since then I have written hundreds of lyrics.Many of them became songs but many didn't. The writing of lyrics became my passion. I found converting them into song as the best way to express my writing. However, the writing much more than the music, was my focus.
Music was just a tool to convey the words.
At some stage I decided to go a step further and write a musical. I made several attempts at writing the musical but it never really came together. The story behind the musical, though, never left me. About four years ago I decided to take the plunge and write something more substantial than a poem or a lyric. I decided to write a novel.As I was used to writing very short and concise pieces, usually to depict or describe a single event or emotion, writing an entire book seemed daunting. It required so many words. I began experimenting with a few ideas, but in the end the pull of the story behind the musical was the strongest. It wouldn't let me go.
It became my debut novel Loreless.
Completing Loreless encouraged me to continue writing.My second book Complicated Blue has been recently published and I am currently writing the second book in the series about a witch with a twist.
Visit pjwhittlesea.com for more information about my writer's journey.
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Tyet Books
- Publication date : August 3, 2016
- Language : English
- Print length : 262 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9492523000
- ISBN-13 : 978-9492523006
- Item Weight : 10.5 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.66 x 8 inches
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

P J Whittlesea is an author and singer-songwriter. Originally hailing from a little town in outback Australia, he now lives in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. A place where cats outnumber people.
His debut novel, LORELESS, about a man in search of his roots, was inspired by his experiences with indigenous people. It has been nominated for two Australian literature awards.
Upon completion of LORELESS, his children asked him to write something for them. His vivid imagination invented a witch with a twist. Unfortunately for them, the story grew into something which isn't strictly for children. Although, his children enthusiastically helped with plot development. The reasoning being, if they don't understand what is going on, nobody will.
The complete Anaïs Blue series:
THE CITY OF SHADES: Anaïs Blue Prequel
THISTLE WITCH: Anaïs Blue Book 1
DISCOVERING MAGIC: Anaïs Blue Book 2
A NEW SOURCE OF MAGIC: Anaïs Blue Book 3
A WITCH’S CALLING: Anaïs Blue Book 4
MAGIC AWAKES: Anaïs Blue Book 5
(Join the author's tribe of avid readers via his website and download your copy of the prequel to the series for free)
Out now:
BLIND SHIPMENT.
The first book in a new series about psychic Interpol agent Kurt Killan.
You can contact P J Whittlesea online and follow his writer's journey. A writer is nothing without readers, and he would love to hear from you.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book to be a great read, with one review describing it as a well-written, riveting story. They appreciate the historical elements, with one customer highlighting the interludes that tell about the author's family history.
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Customers enjoy the story of the book, with one review describing it as a well-written and riveting narrative, while another notes it is a straight-up piece of literary fiction.
"...his family history are in reverse chronological order, which strengthens the storyline because it matches how he finds out more and more about his..." Read more
"...Provides the reader an insight into a little known or understood people from the Outback." Read more
"...a hint of spirituality or magical realism, Loreless is a simply beautiful story of a man who is struggling to understand his place in the world...." Read more
"This strong and compelling narrative pulls the reader along with a man who has absolutely no idea where he's going, and it's a journey that's well..." Read more
Customers appreciate the historical elements in the book, with one mentioning its wonderful sense of history, while another notes the interludes about family history and finds the subject matter unusual and interesting.
"...This is a touching book telling his story and the story of his ancestors...." Read more
"...It is well written, well paced and has a wonderful sense of history...." Read more
"Three stars is a stretch, given because the subject matter was unusual and interesting...." Read more
"...It taught me much about Australia's indigenous culture and lore, as well as the impact that white settlement has had on them. Well done P.J." Read more
Reviews with images

Very good read, a lesson learned in Australian History through a brilliant road-trip-like story
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseLoreless is about a man in his twenties slowly discovering his aboriginal ancestry, and shaping his future, while inadvertently traveling through Australia (after he was dumped on a bus by his mates, at the conclusion of his stag party:-). I can't say much more without giving away too much, but the way the three storylines go hand in hand is done very nicely. The interludes that tell about his family history are in reverse chronological order, which strengthens the storyline because it matches how he finds out more and more about his family history. I really liked that all of the characters are 100% believable: real people, not the cardboard good guys/bad guys that is so common. Even the magic (yes, there is some, of course) is quite believable. A great read!
- Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2018Format: KindleVerified PurchaseP. J. Whittle sea takes us along on a journey of one man into his unknown birthright and his personal lore in "Loreless". He is of Aboriginal descent but knows nothing of his family's history. He is a young man totally ungrounded with no meaning to his life that he can discern. By chance he falls into an isolated community where he encounters his totem and is befriended by others of similar descent. This is a touching book telling his story and the story of his ancestors. Provides the reader an insight into a little known or understood people from the Outback.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseLoreless might be Australia specific but the issues of colonialism, traditions versus modernity, and the struggles of maintaining cultural identity in a homogenized world are universal enough that anyone can settle comfortably into this story. A straight up piece of literary fiction with a hint of spirituality or magical realism, Loreless is a simply beautiful story of a man who is struggling to understand his place in the world. It is well written, well paced and has a wonderful sense of history. Not knowing much about Australian history and the conflicts there, this novel not only does a good job of transporting you there, but makes me want to learn more.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis strong and compelling narrative pulls the reader along with a man who has absolutely no idea where he's going, and it's a journey that's well worth taking. Billy is adrift, personally as well as culturally, loreless in the sense that he has lost all context for his own past and present. He needs the guidance of presences both earthly and evanescent to poke and prod him towards a genuine direction home.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThree stars is a stretch, given because the subject matter was unusual and interesting. I don't understand the point of this book other than to say that the aboriginal people have lost their culture. Really? Who would have guessed such a thing? The characters were flat and lacking in individual personalities. No plot to speak of.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI'm an avid reader and I really enjoyed this story. The writer expressed a love of Australian Aboriginal culture and history in this well written riveting story of an educated young man who discovers his true culture in the Outback. The detail is revealing of a brilliant knowledge of an ancient culture destroyed by modern invaders.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2017Format: PaperbackLoreless held such promise. The setting, Australia’s outback, is certainly unique, particularly as seen through indigenous eyes -- at least in terms of the chief protagonist’s DNA, if not upbringing. The author does a good job of conveying a sense of place. Whittlesea has chosen a pivotal moment for introducing Billy: on the eve of his wedding, when Fate suddenly hurtles him down a completely different life path and starts him on a quest for self-discovery. This quest is ingeniously enhanced by encounters with an apparent spirit guide and by sudden time shifts, exploring Billy’s ancestral history (although sometimes I wondered if were experiencing his earlier incarnations?). But … all that the promise doesn’t quite deliver, at least not for this reader. Deeper character development might have helped. We never get to know Billy very well. His reaction to waking up in the outback, so far away from anything familiar, struck me as shallow. And later, his ability (as an urban accountant!) to adapt to a ruggedly rural lifestyle seemed facile. As someone who chucked the city for the remote countryside, I know just how difficult, albeit ultimately rewarding, the adjustment is. Perhaps we’re supposed to conclude that Billy’s ancestral roots kicked in? Well, maybe, but it would have been nice to witness the transformation, the struggle to hold on to the familiar, while feeling the tug of other influences. Other characters disappointed, as well, especially the nice guy who turns rapist, apparently thanks to demon rum. We never saw enough of his personality to understand the transformation, the main purpose of which was to segue into a lecture on aboriginal justice. (I’m not convinced Mabel, the rapist’s victim, would have considered justice served.) This “lecture” is one of several instances when a character or the omniscient narrator commits the cardinal sin of “telling” instead of “showing.” Despite my overall disappointment, I opted for three stars, instead of two, because of the author’s overall thematic creativity and his obvious knowledge of Australia’s indigenous culture.
I received a free copy of Loreless from the publisher via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI loved this book. It taught me much about Australia's indigenous culture and lore, as well as the impact that white settlement has had on them. Well done P.J.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseA refreshing insight into native Australian life but ultimately a sad and shaming story. Only wish it had been longer.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the Netherlands on July 15, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Aboriginal culture wrapped in a beautiful story.
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI couldn't stop reading. Just wanted to finish this beautiful book. Nice, interesting story with a good plot. Aboriginal culture wrapped in a beautiful story.
- Amazon KundeReviewed in Germany on September 13, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and easy read, hard to put down once you pick it up, just the way I like it...keep it coming PJ Whittlesea!
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseAboriginal Billy finds himself thrown into a situation where he's confronted with his heritage. As his compelling story evolves you get drawn into the psyche of a young Australian who decides to follow his gutfeeling and to dig deeper within his soul and his ancestory. The brilliant thing is that the tale is enriched by historical tales, seen through the eyes of Billy's ancestors. They paint a vivid picture of how aboriginals had to cope with the changes "the invaders" brought to their homeland.
- HelenReviewed in Italy on July 8, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting story that will touch your soul
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis is the story of Billy, a young man who is abandoned by his friends on his stag night in the middle of nowhere. Waking up in a strange place, with no memory of how he got there, little does he know that his life is about to completely change. As Billy embarks on his journey of self-discovery, rejecting his comfortable city life and everything he has ever known for a small community in the dry Australian bush, his self-doubts are replaced by a fierce pride of his Aboriginal roots and knowledge of his place in the world.
Loreless is more than just a story, though. This book leads the reader through the violent events that have shaped Aborigine history in Australia over the last two centuries, with a breath-taking narrative that will move your soul. The story is broken up by several flashbacks that are relevant to the story and Billy's past. Each one goes further back in time, showing how the arrival of white settlers disturbed the Aborigines' natural balance of life. These flashbacks are incredibly vivid, with haunting images that leave you wanting to know more, but also feeling devastated by the suffering of these people.
This book leaves you with a sense of sadness at the things human beings do to each other, but also with a glimmer of hope for the future, that in generations to come the natural balance may one day be restored. I would recommend everyone reads this, if only to learn from our past and make sure that these things never happen again.
- John DuncanReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read ...
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseWhat a fantastic read, great book from beginning to finish, and such an unusual subject matter, Was a total pleasure and a page turner, have recomended this to all my friends ...