The oracle's message

The Alex quartet is a series of four young adult novels written by New Zealand author Tessa Duder: Alex (1987), Alex in Winter (1989), Alessandra: Alex in Rome (1991) and Songs for Alex (1992). Set in the 1950s, the series follows the competitive swimming career of headstrong New Zealand teenager Alex Archer. The books have been published in New Zealand and overseas (with the first book titled In Lane Three, Alex Archer in the US edition), and have received significant critical attention and commercial success. Duder received a number of notable awards for the series, including three times winning the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year Award and three times winning the Esther Glen Award.