348 ratings | 183 reviews | avg rating:4.20

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Lisa Montanaro

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Penny Haw

Goodreads Author

Born

South Africa

Website

https://pennyhaw.com/

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PennyHaw

Genre

Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Children's

Influences

Doris Lessing, Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, Olive Schreiner, Gerald ...more

Member Since

August 2017

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Penny Haw was the recipient of the 2024 Philida Literary Award for her “oeuvre of literary excellence” and won the 2022 Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award.

Her books feature remarkable women, illustrate her love for animals and nature, and explore the interconnectedness of all living things.

Penny’s works of biographical historical fiction are published by Sourcebooks Landmark and include The Invincible Miss Cust (2022), The Woman at the Wheel (2023), Follow Me to Africa (2025) and The Woman and Her Stars (2026). Her other books include The Wilderness Between Us (2021), which is contemporary fiction while Nicko (2017) is a children’s book.

Penny lives in Hout Bay near Cape Town, South Africa with her husband and three dogs, all ...more

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Average rating: 4.13 · 6,557 ratings · 1,152 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Invincible Miss Cust 4.19 avg rating — 3,775 ratings — published 2022 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Woman at the Wheel 4.06 avg rating — 1,299 ratings — published 2023 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Follow Me to Africa 4.01 avg rating — 991 ratings — published 2025 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Woman and Her Stars 3.82 avg rating — 271 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wilderness Between Us 4.23 avg rating — 195 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nicko, the tale of a vervet monkey on an African farm by Penny Haw (Goodreads Author), Petra Langner (Illustrations) 4.73 avg rating — 22 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	With Love, Jen: Letters from a boarding school in Africa 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Penny is Currently Reading

Penny Haw is currently reading

Cranford

by Elizabeth Gaskell

bookshelves: currently-reading, classics

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May 25, 2026 02:45AM

Penny Haw is currently reading

The Safekeep

by Yael van der Wouden

bookshelves: currently-reading, contemporary-fiction

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May 25, 2026 02:44AM

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Penny Haw is currently reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 25, 2026 02:45AM · like
Penny Haw is currently reading The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 25, 2026 02:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw rated a book really liked it Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 25, 2026 02:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw rated a book it was amazing When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I resonated with this book for several reasons, including Bo's deep connection with his beloved dog, Sixten; the isolation he suffers as his wife sinks into dementia; and his imperfect relationships. What a beautiful tale of life, love, loss and acce ...more
May 18, 2026 04:48AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw is currently reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 13, 2026 06:46AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw is currently reading When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 13, 2026 06:45AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw rated a book it was amazing The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A beautiful work of historical fiction with a clever twist.
Apr 13, 2026 06:44AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw rated a book it was amazing Homebodies by Joan Schweighardt (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 11, 2026 10:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Homebodies by Joan Schweighardt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Homebodies by Joan Schweighardt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw has read Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 11, 2026 10:25PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Penny Haw finished reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 11, 2026 10:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Theo of Golden by Allen Levi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Penny Haw (?)

“When you let go of things that make you unhappy, you make space for new things to happen. New things that could make you happy. Nothing’s ruined forever.”
― Penny Haw, Follow Me to Africa

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