I worked on Kaleidoscope for several years while other, possibly more important, things kept pushing it to the back of the queue. It was finally published on the 21st December 2021.

At the centre of Kaleidoscope is Bridget O’Connor, 26 years old with an Irish Catholic background. The setting is the Central West of NSW, Australia, the year is 1917 and most of the world is caught up in what will eventually come to be known as WWI. Bridget dislikes killing and is unable to accept any logical reason for the War, yet in spite of her outlook, she is thrown into a dreadful situation where she has to question whether or not killing is sometimes the only option.

Kaleidoscope explores the familial ties that bind us to both the present and the past, suggesting that we may be more dependent on those who have gone before us than we are prepared to admit. How they coped, or did not cope, is often reflected in the situations we face and how we respond to them. Below, a couple of quotes;

“I doubted that anyone could know Bridget’s story completely: different people knew unrelated parts of the story, pieces that were sometimes patched together to form new, often contrasting, stories. (...) no one can really know anyone else’s story. All we can ever have are the bits and pieces that create their own patterns, in the same way as Joshua’s kaleidoscope.”

“While she thought about the boy and what it was that was prompting him to enlist, another part of her wondered about right and wrong and how easy it can be for the two words to change places as in some stately, well–choreographed, dance. Thinking of her own situation, she knew just how easily these two opposites could change places. She did not feel that she had the right to pass any kind of judgement on others.”

Comments from readers

I have just finished reading Kaleidoscope. I loved it ... I feel as if this is a family I have come to know and love even though it is set in another time. I feel empathy for your characters and the difficulties and tragedies they experience because of the time in which they live. And you have described the settings of the story so clearly. Sue

The title and the cover said 'read me', and I did, and I was moved by what I read. Ireland, Australia, injustice, war and the plight of women everywhere, no matter country or century; I recommend this book wholeheartedly. Brian Fuller

I have now finished reading Kaleidoscope, and very much enjoyed it. You managed to get into the story a great sweep of history at such an important time, when so many lives were affected by famine, migration and war, and to introduce a number of moral dilemmas as well, particularly for the main character.

Great cover and great title too that fitted the story. Alison Booth

I really enjoyed Kaleidoscope, right from its attractively designed cover to its conclusion. Diane is skilled at getting 'into the heads' of the characters by revealing their philosophical and ideological thoughts and emotions. I was totally taken by surprise with the unexpected twist in the story and thoroughly loved it.

I could relate to so many places in Sydney and NSW described by Diane and felt it made the story more meaningful. I intend to read the book again. Ruth

I love the language. The word pictures you bring to life with such clarity and detail, and the levels of intimacy with which you engage in the development of each character, are flowing seamlessly against accurate historical backdrops of time, place and social mores.

A moving, changing, continuing 'KALEIDOSCOPE' ultimately highlighting chance, courage, resilience and the mystery of connectedness – a powerful reminder of the essence of our humanity. Jane

I have just finished reading Kaleidoscope, and I must say that I loved it. It is set in Australia in the early part of the twentieth century at the time of WWI, but it also draws on nineteenth century Ireland. Centred around Bridget who is fleeing from country NSW to Sydney, fearing that she is about to be hanged for something she really did not want to do, the book questions what is right and what is wrong and asks if right is always right and if wrong is always wrong. Well researched the book suggests that war churns up more wrongs than rights. I found Bridget O'Connor completely believable, an ordinary woman thrown into an extraordinary situation. Anne S

The predominant theme for this novel is woven around the impact of military service by Australians in World War I, the trauma and domestic violence inflicted by some damaged returned soldiers and the great loss felt by families of those who did not return. Another interwoven theme involves the quandary felt by Irish/Australians about whether to serve in a war that they saw as essentially British.

Bridget O'Connor's ancestors had emigrated to Australia from Ireland during the Great Famine of the 1850's and the treatment of the Irish by their British overlords was still deeply resented by many Australians of Irish descent even at the time of the Great War.

The characters and locations in this book feel real, and the period is evoked well. I found it a very interesting read, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Susan Hollingworth 2/2/2022