You’d be forgiven for thinking that a book with such a title is a dark Gothic mystery until you notice that the title and author share a surname. It is a memoir yet also contains Gothic themes: graveyards, secrets and mythical beasts.

When Krissy faced the tyranny of the blank page to begin this book, that blankness also represented her knowledge of her family history, made worse by the deliberate obstruction of her grandmother, Lotty. When Krissy interviewed her for a documentary, Lotty was ‘combative and elusive’. Lotty’s past was hers and not discussed. But the manner of the evasion only spurred Krissy on. After her grandmother’s death Krissy was able to venture into this past. She knew that Lotty had roots in Slovenia, but also spent time in Egypt, where her daughter (Krissy’s mother) was born.

From the weirdness of Lotty’s spectacularly unsuccessful tourist attraction, Dragonhall in central Queensland, Krissy travels to Lotty’s home town, Miren in Slovenia, and on to Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt. Eventually she can piece together a workable family history. Happy coincidences allow Krissy to follow leads and meet unexpected relatives. The greatest revelation is the ‘Aleksandrinke’ movement from the 1920s, when Slovenian women, living in poverty and seemingly abandoned by their conscripted men, moved to Egypt to find work.

Adding piquancy to the narrative are Slovenian and Egyptian recipes. The greatest gift Krissy – and the book – received was the genuine warmth and assistance from all she met on her travels. An intriguingly interesting read.

Reviewed by Bob Moore