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170 ratings | 129 reviews | avg rating:4.12

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Mary-Lou Stephens

Goodreads Author

Born

in Hobart, Australia

January 06

Website

http://maryloustephens.com.au

Twitter

@Mary_Lou_Writer

Genre

Fiction, Memoir, Historical Fiction

Member Since

February 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/maryloustephens

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Mary-Lou Stephens was born in Tasmania, studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts and played in bands in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney. Eventually she got a proper job - in radio, where she was a presenter and music director, first with commercial radio and then with the ABC.

She received rave reviews for her memoir Sex, Drugs and Meditation (2013), the true story of how meditation changed her life, saved her job and helped her find a husband.

Mary-Lou has worked and played all over Australia and now travels the world slowly and writes, mostly.

Her debut novel The Last of the Apple Blossom was published by HarperCollins (HQ) in 2021.

The Chocolate Factory (HarperCollins HQ) 2024.

The Jam Maker (HarperCollins HQ) 2025

The Hobart Hotel (Ha ...more

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Mary-Lou Stephens’s books

Average rating: 4.2 · 6,848 ratings · 877 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Jam Maker 4.42 avg rating — 2,720 ratings — published 2025 — 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
	The Chocolate Factory 3.93 avg rating — 1,662 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
	The Last of the Apple Blossom 4.20 avg rating — 1,320 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 Hobart Hotel 4.11 avg rating — 941 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
	Sex, Drugs & Meditation 3.95 avg rating — 195 ratings — published 2013 — 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
	How To Stay Married 3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 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
	7 Tips For Your Best Relationship Ever 0.00 avg rating — 0 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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Mary-Lou Stephens's Blog

Three Women – without whom The Last of the Apple Blossom book might never have existed.

My heartfelt thanks to these three women without whom The Last of the Apple Blossom might never have existed.

Naomie Clark-Port

Naomie Clark-Port is an orchardist in the Huon Valley, tending the orchard that has been in her family for many generations. I called her, out of the blue, with three pages of questions about apple growing. Even though I was a complete stranger, she responded with overwhelm Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 01, 2021 17:32 • Tags: fiona-mcintosh, monica-mcinerney

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Mary-Lou’s Recent Updates

Mary-Lou Stephens has read The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens (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
Mar 02, 2025 09:35PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary-Lou Stephens and 39 other people liked Helen's review of The Jam Maker: "This is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come, once I picked it up I didn’t want to put it down, it was a story so beautifully told about woman, who lived in times that were far from easy and how they made something with their lives," Read more of this review »
Jan 25, 2025 01:31PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary-Lou Stephens and 31 other people liked Brenda's review of The Jam Maker: "Harriet Brown was only twelve years old in Wapping, Tasmania, in 1874, when her mother clipped her braid and cut her hair short; immediately Harriet was Harry; a boy to work in the George Peacock & Sons jam factory as a label paster. Beside Harry as " Read more of this review »
Jan 22, 2025 05:05PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary-Lou Stephens rated a book it was amazing The Last Illusion of Paige White by Vanessa McCausland (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
Jan 08, 2025 05:53AM · 1 like · like
Mary-Lou Stephens has read Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (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
Nov 27, 2024 12:08AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary-Lou Stephens has read The Ledge by Christian White	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
Nov 27, 2024 12:06AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ledge by Christian White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ledge by Christian White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary-Lou Stephens rated a book it was amazing The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir by Sandie Docker (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
Beautiful and Heartfelt. One of Sandie's best. ...more
Nov 27, 2024 12:05AM · 1 like · like · see review
Mary-Lou Stephens has read The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison by Meredith Jaffe (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
Nov 27, 2024 12:03AM · like
Mary-Lou Stephens rated a book it was amazing The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir by Sandie Docker (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
Beautiful and Heartfelt. One of Sandie's best. ...more
Nov 27, 2024 12:02AM · 1 like · like · see review
Mary-Lou Stephens rated a book it was amazing Rapture by Emily Maguire	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
Stunning.
Nov 26, 2024 11:54PM · 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 Rapture by Emily Maguire. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rapture by Emily Maguire <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Polls

August 2026 Group Read - Named after Augustus Caesar - Historical Fiction

The Hobart Hotel by Mary-Lou Stephens

14 votes, 38.9%

The Marriage Trap by Victoria Purman

13 votes, 36.1%

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre by Natasha Lester

5 votes, 13.9%

An Italian Secret by Ella Carey

4 votes, 11.1%

36 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Aussie Readers: * What Are You Currently Reading? (doesn't have to be an Aussie book)	15617	2524	Mar 07, 2016 06:26PM
Cozy Mysteries : When You're Not Reading a Cozy	1890	660	Jul 31, 2021 09:13AM
Fiction Fanatics: September GENRE - Debut Authors	9	18	Aug 22, 2021 10:01AM
Aussie Readers: August 2021 Challenge - Reading by Numbers	167	228	Sep 03, 2021 02:58AM
Aussie Readers: October Challenge 2021 - Opposites Attract	186	156	Nov 08, 2021 04:16PM
Australian Women ...: Carolyn - Read and Review 40 - CONCLUDED at 44	61	18	Dec 13, 2021 09:08PM
Aussie Readers: Spring Challenge - 1st September-30th November 2021	262	267	Dec 21, 2021 08:04PM

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Mary-Lou’s Quotes

“It is a joy to be hidden, and disaster not to be found.”
― D.W. Winnicott

tags: childhood, games, hidden-self, hide-and-seek, hiding, introversion, life, loneliness, self, solitude

325 likes

“the United Metropolitan Improved Hot Muffin and Crumpet Baking and Punctual Delivery Company.”
― Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

9 likes

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”
― Jane Austen

28 likes

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