The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

LONGLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2018

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS 2018: General Fiction Book of the Year and LONGLISTED for the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year

In 1978 the Northern Territory has begun to self-govern. Cyclone Tracy is a recent memory and telephones are not yet a fixture on the cattle stations dominating the rugged outback. 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.

If you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and The Thorn Birds, you will devour this story of five different women united by one need: to overcome the vast distances of Australia's Top End with friendship, tears, laughter, books and love.

'The story of these resilient women is tender and intimate. Sophie Green has created a world that's as heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' — AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY

'An absolute gem of a novel, with the most evocative sense of place... A definite treat for any book club.' — BETTER READING