top of page
9781760525880.jpg

'Timeless yet also telling an achingly familiar story to us here and now, this is an unforgettable tale of love and loss, triumph and tragedy.' - Karen Brooks, author of The Good Wife of Bath.


7 February, 1967. 


Walls of flame reduce much of Tasmania to ash.  Young schoolteacher Catherine Turner rushes to the Huon Valley to find her family's apple orchard destroyed, her childhood home in ruins and her brother dead. Despite her father's declaration that a woman will never run the orchard, Catherine resolves to rebuild the family business.  


After five sons, Catherine's friend and neighbour, Annie Pearson, is overjoyed by the birth of a much longed for daughter. As Annie and her husband Dave work to repair the damage to their orchard, Dave's friend Mark pitches in, despite the fact that Annie wants him gone. Mark has moved his family to the valley to escape his life in Melbourne, but his wife has disappeared leaving chaos in her wake and their young son Charlie in Mark's care.  

Catherine becomes fond of Charlie, whose strange upbringing has left him shy and withdrawn. However, the growing friendship between Mark and Catherine not only scandalises the small community but threatens a secret Annie is desperate to keep hidden.  


Through natural disasters, personal calamities and the devastating collapse of the apple industry, Catherine, Annie and those they love battle to save their livelihoods, their families and their secrets.

Late Historical, Family Saga, Australian Historical

About The Author

Gary Lonesborough.png

Mary-Lou Stephens was born in Tasmania, studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts and played in bands in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney.  Eventually she got a proper job – in radio, where she was a presenter and music director, first with commercial radio and then with the ABC.  


She received great reviews for her memoir Sex, Drugs and Meditation (Pan Macmillan, 2013), the true story of how meditation changed her life, saved her job and helped her find a husband.   


Mary-Lou has worked and played all over Australia and now lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and a hive of killer native bees.

Merch page.png

Contact

CURRENT - Torres Strait Islander flag -

The Torres Strait Islander flag was designed by the late Mr Bernard Namok 

australia-4463672_1920.png
1134px-Intersex-inclusive_pride_flag.svg.png

The original Rainbow flag was designed by the Gilbert Baker and friends. This redesign of the Porgress Pride Flag is by Valentino Vecchietti

  • Threads
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Australian Book Lovers acknowledges First Nations peoples and recognises their continuous connection to Country, community and culture. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and honour the sharing of traditional stories passed down through generations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site may contain names, voices or images of people who have passed away.

We are committed to a safe and inclusive welcome to authors of all cultures and backgrounds, including people of LGBTIQ communities and their families.

We support creative humans and do not accept wholly AI generated stories or books on this website.

Our website has affiliate links with retailers such as Amazon which means we
may receive a commission for sales referred from the website, at no extra cost to the author.

©2024 Australian Book Lovers

bottom of page