Cry of the Rain Bird: A mesmerising Australian saga of love, intrigue and betrayal

by Patricia Shaw

The golden shores of Trinity Bay might not be the paradise they dream of...

Patricia Shaw's Cry of the Rain Bird is an absorbing romantic saga set in the seemingly blissful Trinity Bay, with dark twists along the way. The perfect read for fans of Fleur McDonald and Elizabeth Haran.

Englishman Corby Morgan and his young wife Jessie set sail for the golden shores of Trinity Bay, dreaming of an easy life in paradise. But Providence, the sugar plantation that is to be their home, promises danger as well as prosperity. As obstinate Corby drives his Australian manager Mike Devlin to distraction learning to farm the sugar cane, Devlin becomes attracted to gentle Jessie. Jessie meanwhile becomes involved with running the plantation and befriends the Aborigines and labourers, while her coquettish sister Sylvia pursues her own selfish goals. Facing a shocking introduction to plantation life and battling racial conflict and political upheavals, the planters of Providence are unprepared when nature strikes a fearful blow...

What readers are saying about Cry of the Rain Bird :

' Gripped from the very first page'

' Rich in historical detail and provides understanding and insight into the culture of the land's original inhabitants '

' A fascinating, first class read '

Genres: Historical Fiction, Australia, Fiction, Romance

467 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 1994

About the author

Patricia Shaw was an Australian novelist and non-fiction writer.

Reviews

[Letty De kroon]

Family saga set in early pioneering days in Qld in the canefields.It was really interesting to read all the history of the colonial Australia and far north Qld, while engrossed in the family saga unfolding. It was also interesting to read it from various points of view often contrary to standard history lessons (ie, understanding why farmers fought hard against the White Australia Policy; and how the Aboriginals and Pacific Islanders thought and lived)

[Michele Clark]

Another brilliant read by this author! I was hooked after the fist few pages and was not disappointed. I love learning the history of Australia especially in areas that I have visited. It’s hard to imagine Cairns as a swampy run down village but the tablelands area is still full of cane. The facts about the South Sea Islanders was new to me and of great interest. I enjoyed checking the historical facts about flooding in the area which continues to this day.
The characters though a little predictable were well described and believable.
I’ve already downloaded another of Patricia Shaws novels to read.

[Anita]

Patricia Shaw always delivers

I am a huge fan of Patricia Shaw. I have never been disappointed with her books. They are meticulously researched and skillfully written. If you are interested in Australia"s history, her books will give you a lot of information and will entertain you at the same time.

[Beth]

A fascinating historical fiction novel of colonial Australia. Extremely enjoyable read— very well written. The characters, historical details and storyline kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended.

[wendy vandaele]

Adventures

As always an amazing tale of days gone by in Australia a must read for anyone who enjoys novels with such well written and descriptive stories. Have never been disappointed in a Patricia Shaw novel.

[patricia moston]

One of the most interesting and captivating stories

I have read in the
Australia sagas




I can't wait till the next one and will look forward to buying more
Pat

[Ajaki]

Spannend aber nach Schema F

[Sarah Scowen]

I find that blasphemy is entirely unnecessary and this book takes it to a whole nother level so it is for this reason I give it two stars.

[Dangerbleistift]

Well written and fun to read. But also seems a bit too much glorification of colonialism and exploitations

[Caroline]

Een jonge Engelsman van goede huize die nog nooit een dag gewerkt heeft in zijn leven gaat in zee met een vriend om een suiker plantage te kopen in Queensland. Zijn vriend haakt af en als hij gaat bij zijn vader tevergeefs om geld gaat bedelen stelt zijn schoonvader voor partner te worden.
En ze vertrekken, het jong koppel, de verstrooide professor schoonvader en ook nog een schoonzus.

[Nae]

Utterly fascinating read. I saw this book mentioned on one of the historical fiction sites I go to and wow am I glad I decided to read it. The history of this part of Australia was utterly fascinating. I will most certainly be looking for more of her stuff.

[Jen]

A great novel sharing about the history of QLD's cane fields.

[Dpic]

good

[Davida]

Love Australian family sagas...great read