Eumeralla: Secrets, Tragedy and Love

by Joanna Stephen-Ward

The events that had far reaching and tragic consequences began at Eumeralla, a property in the Australian outback owned by Eleanor. If she could go back twenty-four years and change things, she’d wish away her children.Set in Queensland, the book reveals forbidden love, a disputed inheritance and tangled family relationships. Eleanor and her husband are desperate to keep a secret from their children until a house clearance exposes the truth, bringing disaster to the whole family.

Genres: Australia, Fiction

495 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Eve Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the characters. They had faults and strengths. They did wonderful things. They did stupid things.

So many times I wanted to shout, 'No, that's not right.' I knew they wouldn't listen.

I cried. This book is tragic. It's magnificient and sweeping. It's so vivid I felt I was there in that dilapated house on Eumeralla. I was at Kingower, the much more affluent property a thousand miles away. I was in Sydney. I was in Melbourne.

The characters are so real. I wanted to comfort them in their grief and rejoyce at their triumphs. Eleanor's first line in the novel jumped out and whacked me in they eye. 'If I could go back 25 years and change things I'd wish away my children.' I was hooked.

No spoliers here. A tragic ending with a glimmer of hope for the surviving characters.

[Elizabeth Jasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, though I found it difficult to get my head around so many characters and which families they were part of. The relationships between the various characters were sometimes confusing and not always believable and the flashbacks not smoothly rendered - but the writing, especially in the descriptive passages, was excellent.

[Marla Blowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I could envision the twins and how they must have felt to be separated. Life doesn't always have a happy ending and this story shows that. This story reminded me of Cinderella and the ugly stepsisters. Look forward to reading more by this author.
Marla

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I should have had a pen & paper with me when I read this to keep track of who was who, who was related to who & what the relationships were. Kept me on edge right to the end - which I hadn't predicted at all

[Alison]

kindle 352 australia