180 The Australian Women’s Weekly | MAY 2019
ABOUTOURLAND4 RURAL TALES
THEYEAROF
THEFARMER
byRosalieHam,
PanMacmillan
Womenruletheroostin this
saltysliceoflifesetin rural
NSW,wherewhite-haired
Jaseyunboxesherrifleto
keepthefoxfromthefowl
andherchicks.Mitchellties
thesteeringwheeltothe
rear-viewmirrorofhisute,
wedgesa pieceoftimber
againsttheacceleratorand
jumpsontothetrailertofeed
hishungrymobofsheep.At
homewifeMandyreadshis
emails.WhenhisexNeralie
lefttown,Mandygrabbed
Neralie’sjobandher
boyfriend.ButNeralieis
movingbacktorunthe
pubandeveryoneintends
toreturnhertoher
rightfulposition.THEWOMANIN
THEGREENDRESS
byTeaCooper,Harlequin
“Ostilities”haveended.
Londonis celebrating.
It’s 1919 andFleurdreamsof
CorporalhusbandHugh’s
promiseofa newlifein
Australia,whereheowns
property.ButHughis dead,
leavingFleurwithan
unwantedinheritance.Back
in 1853,taxidermistDella
practisesthetradeshelearnt
fromPa.Beforeherparents
diedlifewasbeautifulin the
Hawkesbury.Buta sea
captainseekingAustralia’s
firstopalforcesDellato
returntohercityCurioShop
ofWonders,whereheraunt
hasbeenhawkingmore
thanstuffedanimals.Two
worlds– 60yearsapart- mergein thismystery.
THEORCHARDIST’S
DAUGHTER
byKarenViggers,
Allen&Unwin
LoggerLeon,25,withhis
messyorangehair,hasleftthe
beachesofBrunyIslandin
Tasmaniatotakea jobasa
parkrangerin a timbertown.
Hemakesfriendseasily,
chattingtosadMax,10,
brutalisedbyhisbeerydad.
Miki,16,hasbeenhemmedin
bya “scaffoldofrules”from
brotherKurt, 10 yearsher
senior,sincetheirGod-
fearingparentsdiedin a fire,
theappletreesscorched.
Sheservesupextraportions
offishforthekidsattheir
shop.ButKurtlocksherin
andtellshertouristsand
newcomersarewicked.
WhenMikimeetsLeon,their
connectionsparkshope.HEARTOFTHE
GRASSTREE
byMollyMurn,Penguin
Nell’sskirtis “wrapped
impossiblyaroundthe
clothesline”.Hergrand-
daughterPearlwondersif
sheshouldunhookit. She,
sisterLucyandtheirmother,
Diana,havereturnedto
KangarooIsland,nowthat
Nellhasdied.Nell’smother
keptbees.ShecalledSol
“smoky”becausehecalmed
thebees,butwhenNell
becamepregnantbyblack
Sol,Mumtookhertothe
mainlandtogivebirth,baby
Samueltakenaway.In 1822
Europeansealerskidnapped
Aboriginalwomenfromthe
mainlandandtookthemas
slavestoKangarooIsland.
Exquisitestorytellingfrom
a vital,liltingnewvoice.The Age of LightbyWhitneyScharer,PanMacmillan
A fictionalbiographyofUSphotographer
andjournalistLeeMiller– museand
loverofartistManRay.WemeetLeeasa
lumpy,lushyshadowofherformerhourglass
modelself.It’s 1966 andsheandsculptor
husbandRolandPenroseentertainVogue
magazineeditorAudreyWithersat their
EnglishfarmhouseoveroneofLee’smulti
(10)-coursedinners.Audreywantsformer
warcorrespondentLeetowriteaboutMan
Ray.ScharerdartsbacktodecadentParis,
1929:ManRay’smessyclutteredstudio,
absintheandopiumsalons,brandy-fuelled
nightsplayingforfeits.CovergirlLeeleft
NewYorkCityforParisandanonymity,in
a citywhereeveryonewaselegant.Hereshe
couldmakeart,ratherthanbeit.InLondon
in 1940,bombsdropping,Lee“...picking
herwaythroughthecitywithhercamera,the
bombed-outtableauxarrangedbeforeher
liketheworkofsomeSurrealistsetdesigner.
A churchdestroyed,buta typewriterperfectly
balancedontherubble.”Miller’sbrilliance
shinesbrightin thisgorgeousnoveltribute. REVIEWS BY KATIE EKBERG.Books