Stories My Parents Told Me: Tales of Growing Up in Wartime Malta is a collection of seven short stories based on actual events during World War II on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The stories describe a difficult time for children and their families where survival was paramount and family ties were what sustained them. These stories are interspersed with snippets of history, factual details and descriptions which establish a setting for tales which are, at times, emotionally moving and, at other times, bring a smile to your face. These stories also describe a culture of a time past for a deeply religious and frugal people. Early reviews: "Have now read them - and love them! Wonderful human stories. (Rupert Grech) is a talented writer. Terrific!" - Barry York, Ph.D., OAM; Historian, Museum of Australian Democracy. "(Rupert Grech) is a very good raconteur. I enjoyed reading the stories, some of which are touching and very moving" - Mark A. Sammut, Author/Freelance Journalist.
About the Author: Rupert C. Grech is a first generation Australian born of Maltese immigrants. For the first seven years of his life, he lived in the poorer suburbs of inner Sydney, later moving to the western suburbs. Rupert graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics and a Diploma in Education, during which time he also played A-Grade Rugby League in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. He then returned to his studies and completed an honors degree in Human Geography at the University of New England. His thesis addressed the issue of chain migration from Malta to Australia. After teaching for five years, Rupert Grech backpacked around Europe for six months, during which time he first visited Malta. Returning to Australia, he owned and managed a lunchtime cafe in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales for six years, after which he returned to teaching in the same area while concurrently running his 114-acre beef cattle property, singing and playing guitar and bass in various pub bands; filling in as a part-time radio announcer and writing a column in the local newspaper. Rupert Grech finished his career in education after spending nine years as headmaster in two, small, regional schools in New South Wales. Later he purchased an apartment in Marsaxlokk, Malta. The author now spends half of each year in both Australia and Malta writing, performing as a musician and traveling.