The Party Line

The Baxters do not know their place. On the first of June every year, sharemilkers load their trucks with their families, pets, and possessions, crawling along the highways towards new farms and new lives. They're inching towards that ultimate dream — buying their own land.

Fenward's always been lucky with its sharemilkers; grateful, grafting folk who understand what's expected of them. Until now, when grief-stricken Ian Baxter and his precocious daughter Gabrielle arrive.

Nickie Walker is enchanted by the glamour and worldliness of Gabrielle. Nickie's mother, however, finds herself in the crossfire of a moral battle too terrifying to confront.

Each has a story to share. This is a coming-of-age story for two young girls who hold a mirror up to the place and people they love. It's a coming-of-age story, too, for a community forced to stare back at the image of a toxic soul. The question is: who will blink first?

The Party Line by Sue Orr explores these themes with nuanced storytelling and intriguing characters.