The story of three women in the Blue Mountains in Victorian Australia, all without their men and all hampered by the social restrictions of the time. A tale of genteel poverty, of small-town pettiness and of overcoming prejudices. It is an easy read, not as deep as many of her tales and certainly not a The Thorn Birds, but follow the exploits of Missy desperately fighting against the system and you will have a thoroughly good time. Sadly the author has recently died.
The Hurlingford family have ruled the small town of Byron, nestled in the Blue Mountains, for generations. Wealthy, powerful and cruel, they get what they want, every time. Missy Wright's mother, a Hurlingford by birth, has been shunned by her family since marrying for love, not money. Now widowed, the women live a quiet existence in genteel poverty. Plain, thin and unforgivably single, it seems Missy's life is destined to be dreary. But then a stranger arrives in town. A divorcee from Sydney. And she opens Missy's eyes to the possibility of a happy ending. This is an endearing tale, full of wit, warmth and romance, from the bestselling author of THE THORN BIRDS.
Colleen McCullough was born in Australia. A neurophysiologist, she established the department of neurophysiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, then worked as a researcher and teacher at Yale Medical School for ten years. Her writing career began with Tim, followed by The Thorn Birds, a record-breaking international best-seller. McCullough has also written lyrics for musical theater. She died in January 2015.
