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The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green

In 1978 the Northern Territory has begun to self-govern. Life is hard and people are isolated. But they find ways to connect.

Sybil is the matriarch of Fairvale Station, run by her husband, Joe. Their eldest son, Lachlan, was Joe's designated successor but he has left the Territory - for good. It is up to their second son, Ben, to take his brother's place. But that doesn't stop Sybil grieving the absence of her child. With her oldest friend, Rita, now living in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Ben's English wife, Kate, finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale, Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship and purpose: they all love to read, and she forms a book club.

Mother-of-three Sallyanne is invited to join them. Sallyanne dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town of Katherine where she lives with her difficult husband, Mick. Completing the group is Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land.

 I truly adored this book, and as you can see - my cat Serafina did as well! I feel that this is a book that every Australian woman should read. It made me so proud to be Australian, and I know that this book will give readers around the world a deeper appreciation for this fantastic country. The story of the five beautiful ladies of different ages and from different walks of life truly warmed my heart!  They formed such strong, beautiful friendships, and it was inspiring to see how they were so willing to help each other, despite the distances between them and their own personal struggles. I loved the setting of the harsh and dusty Northern Territory, which Sophie Green described so beautifully. 

 I thought this book was beautifully written and I loved all of the characters. I want to join their book club and become their friend! I loved reading about the emotional journeys each lady was embarking on. When the characters cried, I cried! And when they were happy, I was happy. I felt all of their pain and connected with them on so many levels. It was a truly beautiful read, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
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  1. MehsiMay 31, 2020 at 5:34 AM

    Great review, this sounds like a lovely read. Your cat is adorable! <3

    ReplyDelete

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