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Aussie Outback Medical #3
Sonnenaufgang über Red Sand
When the father she barely knew dies suddenly, midwife Eve Wilson decides she owes it to him to go the funeral and meet her stepfamily in Red Sand. She doesn't expect to be so completely charmed by the beautiful remote township in far west Queensland – or by local station owner, Lex McKay.
After disappointment and heartbreak in Sydney, Dr Callie Wilson decides it might be time to move home to spend some time with her grieving mother. When she is approached to oversee the establishment of the area's first medical clinic, it seems the perfect opportunity. And Callie is keen to involve Eve, the sister she's just getting to know.
Melbourne-based obstetrician Sienna Wilson can't understand why anyone would want to bury themselves in the outback, but when her hospital sends her north to research the medical mystery affecting women in Red Sand, it seems fate is intent on bringing the three sisters together. And when disaster strikes, they must each decide if being true to themselves means being there for each other...
Red Sand Sunrise is a romantic, heartfelt story from an internationally bestselling author. It celebrates the strength of family ties, the renewing power of love, and the passion of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things.
After disappointment and heartbreak in Sydney, Dr Callie Wilson decides it might be time to move home to spend some time with her grieving mother. When she is approached to oversee the establishment of the area's first medical clinic, it seems the perfect opportunity. And Callie is keen to involve Eve, the sister she's just getting to know.
Melbourne-based obstetrician Sienna Wilson can't understand why anyone would want to bury themselves in the outback, but when her hospital sends her north to research the medical mystery affecting women in Red Sand, it seems fate is intent on bringing the three sisters together. And when disaster strikes, they must each decide if being true to themselves means being there for each other...
Red Sand Sunrise is a romantic, heartfelt story from an internationally bestselling author. It celebrates the strength of family ties, the renewing power of love, and the passion of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things.
- GenresRomance
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2014
54 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McArthur
291 books205 followersFiona McArthur has worked as a midwife for thirty years. She is the clinical midwifery educator inner rural maternity unit and teaches emergency obstetric strategies while working with midwives and doctors from remote and isolated areas.
Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales.
Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 17, 2024
bring tissues!
There is Lots of loss in this one! So much death, I cried a few times, but that was just a part of the story. There was laughter, excitement, and love to keep the story going. I’m Loving this series! Off the the next!
There is Lots of loss in this one! So much death, I cried a few times, but that was just a part of the story. There was laughter, excitement, and love to keep the story going. I’m Loving this series! Off the the next!
June 19, 2014
4.5★s
Three sisters – Eve Wilson, Sienna Wilson and their half-sister Callie Wilson – were all about to have their lives changed irrevocably, and all because of one man, Duncan Wilson. Eve was a dedicated mid-wife from Brisbane and a recent tragedy had shaken her to the core; Sienna was a top obstetrician from Melbourne and working her way rapidly up the ladder; and Callie was a doctor with her own practice in Sydney, and hadn’t realized it but was unhappily married.
When Eve received an unexpected phone call from Red Sand, the sudden shock death of the father she barely knew hit her hard. Determined to attend the funeral she found she wasn’t surprised when Sienna said she wouldn’t go. Red Sand was an isolated township in far west Queensland, and even for Eve, the trip there from Brisbane was an extremely long one. But meeting her half-sister Callie and Callie’s mum, Sylvia for the first time made the long trip worthwhile.
After a few days at home again, Callie decided now was the time to cut her ties in Sydney and move back with her mother – she hadn’t spent enough time at home in the past fifteen years, so the change felt right to her. And getting to know Eve was proving to be a bonus – they were getting along well. So when dynamic matriarch and local station owner, Blanche McKay approached Callie with the idea of a medical clinic for Red Sand and the outlying communities, it felt like everything was falling into place for Callie. Blanche ruled with an iron fist – her sons Henry and Lex (mostly) did her bidding, and the men were well known in the district for their handsome good looks.
Fate was definitely conspiring to bring the three sisters together, because before long Sienna was heading to Red Sand; as part of her role as a medical researcher she was to investigate a medical issue which was affecting women in the area. Not happy to be in the “back of beyond” she nonetheless settled into her role and found herself gradually getting to know her sisters – until the day tragedy struck and they found themselves going above and beyond….
What a wonderful story! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel; the connecting of the three sisters after so long shows the power of familial love; the different strengths of the women was inspiring and it was deeply emotional. I must admit to needing the tissues quite a few times especially in the second half of the book. I have no hesitation in recommending Red Sand Sunrise highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Three sisters – Eve Wilson, Sienna Wilson and their half-sister Callie Wilson – were all about to have their lives changed irrevocably, and all because of one man, Duncan Wilson. Eve was a dedicated mid-wife from Brisbane and a recent tragedy had shaken her to the core; Sienna was a top obstetrician from Melbourne and working her way rapidly up the ladder; and Callie was a doctor with her own practice in Sydney, and hadn’t realized it but was unhappily married.
When Eve received an unexpected phone call from Red Sand, the sudden shock death of the father she barely knew hit her hard. Determined to attend the funeral she found she wasn’t surprised when Sienna said she wouldn’t go. Red Sand was an isolated township in far west Queensland, and even for Eve, the trip there from Brisbane was an extremely long one. But meeting her half-sister Callie and Callie’s mum, Sylvia for the first time made the long trip worthwhile.
After a few days at home again, Callie decided now was the time to cut her ties in Sydney and move back with her mother – she hadn’t spent enough time at home in the past fifteen years, so the change felt right to her. And getting to know Eve was proving to be a bonus – they were getting along well. So when dynamic matriarch and local station owner, Blanche McKay approached Callie with the idea of a medical clinic for Red Sand and the outlying communities, it felt like everything was falling into place for Callie. Blanche ruled with an iron fist – her sons Henry and Lex (mostly) did her bidding, and the men were well known in the district for their handsome good looks.
Fate was definitely conspiring to bring the three sisters together, because before long Sienna was heading to Red Sand; as part of her role as a medical researcher she was to investigate a medical issue which was affecting women in the area. Not happy to be in the “back of beyond” she nonetheless settled into her role and found herself gradually getting to know her sisters – until the day tragedy struck and they found themselves going above and beyond….
What a wonderful story! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel; the connecting of the three sisters after so long shows the power of familial love; the different strengths of the women was inspiring and it was deeply emotional. I must admit to needing the tissues quite a few times especially in the second half of the book. I have no hesitation in recommending Red Sand Sunrise highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
April 30, 2023
4.5 stars
I absolutely adore reading Aussie stories in an outback setting. In this book the setting is far west Queensland, hubby and I are yet to travel to that stunning remote part of Australia, which we’re hoping to do next year.
Loved the characters, the plot and the gorgeous Royal Flying Doctor Service - they are amazing, brilliant and caring. I would know as I had a stroke in Coober Pedy last year and needed their service to fly me to Adelaide. Forever grateful to these amazing human beings.
Thank you Fiona McArthur for an outstanding read.
Audiobook via the BorrowBox app
Published by Bolinda audio
Narrated by Caroline Lee
Duration: 10 hrs, 21 min. 1.50x Speed
I absolutely adore reading Aussie stories in an outback setting. In this book the setting is far west Queensland, hubby and I are yet to travel to that stunning remote part of Australia, which we’re hoping to do next year.
Loved the characters, the plot and the gorgeous Royal Flying Doctor Service - they are amazing, brilliant and caring. I would know as I had a stroke in Coober Pedy last year and needed their service to fly me to Adelaide. Forever grateful to these amazing human beings.
Thank you Fiona McArthur for an outstanding read.
Audiobook via the BorrowBox app
Published by Bolinda audio
Narrated by Caroline Lee
Duration: 10 hrs, 21 min. 1.50x Speed
September 29, 2024
I am yet to read a book of Fiona's that I haven't enjoyed and this book is no exception. I had already read The Baby doctor last year which I devoured in a day and didn't realise until later that it was the second book in a series, so this book was the first! The story involves three sisters - Callie who is a GP and returns home to the outback for the funeral of her father. She has two half sisters as well - Eve who is a midwife and Sienna who is a high flying Obstetrician who begrudgingly returns for the funeral of their long lost father as well. The girls bond after Callie's mum is battling cancer, and a local identity decides to put up a lot of money to develop a local clinic to treat mothers to be after a spate of miscarriages and infant deaths.
This was an engaging story and also had its share of relationship woes and secrets. The author's excellent knowledge of birthing shone through in parts and brought realism to the character's situations.
Highly recommended for readers of rural, medical and womens fiction.
This was an engaging story and also had its share of relationship woes and secrets. The author's excellent knowledge of birthing shone through in parts and brought realism to the character's situations.
Highly recommended for readers of rural, medical and womens fiction.
June 28, 2014
Drama and tragedy abound in this emotionally wrought story brought to us by Australian author Fiona McArthur, as she puts her three heroines through the paces of life, death and birth in the Outback.
A successful Obstetrician in Melbourne, Sienna Wilson is a hard egg to crack. While her sister Eve heads to the small township of Red Sand in western Queensland to attend the funeral of the father she didn’t know, Sienna has no desire to meet the “other” family of the man who deserted them, and would rather continue climbing her ladder to success in the city.
Eve is not expecting to be welcomed with open arms by her father’s other family - her half-sister Callie and his widow, Sylvia - but she is overwhelmed with the generosity of their hearts and the unadulterated warmth which is shown to her.
Callie, older than Eve by ten years, was a successful GP in Sydney until, after suffering a personal trauma and heartbreak at the hands of her ex-husband, thought it prudent to move home and rather offer support to her grieving mother than remain in an unhappy existence in the city.
Motivated by three family tragedies of her own, the formidable matriarch of McKay Holdings, Blanche McKay approaches Callie at her father’s wake seeking her assistance in finding staff for a medical clinic she wishes to fund and build in Red Sand because, as if the drought in Red Sand isn’t bad enough, affecting many property owners’ livelihoods, it has become apparent that something is threatening the lives of the town’s unborn babies, causing them to be born prematurely.
With the two sisters already having begun to form a close relationship that both appear hesitant to lose, Callie discusses Blanche's idea with Eve, asking if she knows of any midwives who could possibly want to come out to Red Sand for six months to trial it, while she gets herself settled in with Sylvia. The prospect immediately appeals to Eve as she sees it not only as a challenge but a chance for change and getting to know her sister better, but she will need to go back to the city for a while to think about it and tie up her affairs.
It's not long before Sienna gets her first taste of Red Sand when her and Eve are called for the reading of their father's will which has a stipulation requiring that they both be present. Needless to say, Sienna is not happy, even though it's only for a day ... and she doesn't get to escape meeting Blanche McKay.
Speaking of Blanche, I did mention before that she was formidable didn’t I? So, it’s no surprise to the reader that eleven weeks after her first visit, when Eve has already taken up her position at the clinic, Blanche is once again on a mission after another near tragedy involving a mother and baby. She needs answers and she needs them now – preferably from someone who is familiar with research. Sienna is at the top of her list and the lady with the deep pockets has her seconded to the town on a three month research trip to find out what is elevating the premature birth rates so substantially.
When the stand-offish Sienna finally makes her unhappy appearance, her arrival in town is nothing less than memorable, as she assists a young resident of the town to give birth to her baby on the side of the road, but it is an almost fatal accident in which a road train and a ute connect that will see Eve and Sienna in a race against time to save the life of the pregnant woman and her unborn baby trapped within the confines of the mangled wreck.
A midwife herself, Fiona McArthur, has written an engaging tale which, while it will have readers immersing themselves in both the beauty and harshness of the Outback, will also have then nodding their heads in agreement as "women's fiction meets rural medical drama". In her latest offering, Fiona tugs at our heartstrings as we get to feel the depth of the loves, losses, trials and tribulations of these three strong and independent women intermingled within the wider focus of the isolation of the Outback and the minimal access to medical assistance.
Much like the Rev John Flynn pioneered his way to success with campaigning for and then establishing the much needed Royal Flying Doctor's Service, in Red Sand Sunrise, Fiona gives us Blanche McKay, the wealthy benefactress who rises to the challenge of seeking out and providing the required medical skills in their suffering Outback town and, for those of us who live in both the capitals and larger regional cities in Australia (like Toowoomba where I live), I think that we often take advantage of the medical services we have at our disposal - services that can arrive in next to no time with the push of three simple zeros - and we tend to forget about those living in isolation and having to make do with the little that is available to them on short notice.
The RFDS and Flying Obstetrician offer a wonderful and important service and Fiona McArthur has done a brilliant job of bringing this home to us as she puts the perils of living in remote locations into real life perspective, painting a vivid picture of the medical struggles which our Outback counterparts face every day of their lives.
From corrugations in the dirt, dry creek beds and the raucous cockatoos in the trees, to Eve and Sienna fighting against the clock to save the lives of a mother and unborn baby as I stood by literally feeling the sun beating down on my head with the red dirt settling on my tongue, Fiona has given us the Outback in all its ochre and brown glory, in a story that will warm your heart on a cold winter’s day.
A heart-warming tale of loss, love and the gift of family.
A successful Obstetrician in Melbourne, Sienna Wilson is a hard egg to crack. While her sister Eve heads to the small township of Red Sand in western Queensland to attend the funeral of the father she didn’t know, Sienna has no desire to meet the “other” family of the man who deserted them, and would rather continue climbing her ladder to success in the city.
Eve is not expecting to be welcomed with open arms by her father’s other family - her half-sister Callie and his widow, Sylvia - but she is overwhelmed with the generosity of their hearts and the unadulterated warmth which is shown to her.
Callie, older than Eve by ten years, was a successful GP in Sydney until, after suffering a personal trauma and heartbreak at the hands of her ex-husband, thought it prudent to move home and rather offer support to her grieving mother than remain in an unhappy existence in the city.
Motivated by three family tragedies of her own, the formidable matriarch of McKay Holdings, Blanche McKay approaches Callie at her father’s wake seeking her assistance in finding staff for a medical clinic she wishes to fund and build in Red Sand because, as if the drought in Red Sand isn’t bad enough, affecting many property owners’ livelihoods, it has become apparent that something is threatening the lives of the town’s unborn babies, causing them to be born prematurely.
With the two sisters already having begun to form a close relationship that both appear hesitant to lose, Callie discusses Blanche's idea with Eve, asking if she knows of any midwives who could possibly want to come out to Red Sand for six months to trial it, while she gets herself settled in with Sylvia. The prospect immediately appeals to Eve as she sees it not only as a challenge but a chance for change and getting to know her sister better, but she will need to go back to the city for a while to think about it and tie up her affairs.
It's not long before Sienna gets her first taste of Red Sand when her and Eve are called for the reading of their father's will which has a stipulation requiring that they both be present. Needless to say, Sienna is not happy, even though it's only for a day ... and she doesn't get to escape meeting Blanche McKay.
Speaking of Blanche, I did mention before that she was formidable didn’t I? So, it’s no surprise to the reader that eleven weeks after her first visit, when Eve has already taken up her position at the clinic, Blanche is once again on a mission after another near tragedy involving a mother and baby. She needs answers and she needs them now – preferably from someone who is familiar with research. Sienna is at the top of her list and the lady with the deep pockets has her seconded to the town on a three month research trip to find out what is elevating the premature birth rates so substantially.
When the stand-offish Sienna finally makes her unhappy appearance, her arrival in town is nothing less than memorable, as she assists a young resident of the town to give birth to her baby on the side of the road, but it is an almost fatal accident in which a road train and a ute connect that will see Eve and Sienna in a race against time to save the life of the pregnant woman and her unborn baby trapped within the confines of the mangled wreck.
A midwife herself, Fiona McArthur, has written an engaging tale which, while it will have readers immersing themselves in both the beauty and harshness of the Outback, will also have then nodding their heads in agreement as "women's fiction meets rural medical drama". In her latest offering, Fiona tugs at our heartstrings as we get to feel the depth of the loves, losses, trials and tribulations of these three strong and independent women intermingled within the wider focus of the isolation of the Outback and the minimal access to medical assistance.
Much like the Rev John Flynn pioneered his way to success with campaigning for and then establishing the much needed Royal Flying Doctor's Service, in Red Sand Sunrise, Fiona gives us Blanche McKay, the wealthy benefactress who rises to the challenge of seeking out and providing the required medical skills in their suffering Outback town and, for those of us who live in both the capitals and larger regional cities in Australia (like Toowoomba where I live), I think that we often take advantage of the medical services we have at our disposal - services that can arrive in next to no time with the push of three simple zeros - and we tend to forget about those living in isolation and having to make do with the little that is available to them on short notice.
The RFDS and Flying Obstetrician offer a wonderful and important service and Fiona McArthur has done a brilliant job of bringing this home to us as she puts the perils of living in remote locations into real life perspective, painting a vivid picture of the medical struggles which our Outback counterparts face every day of their lives.
From corrugations in the dirt, dry creek beds and the raucous cockatoos in the trees, to Eve and Sienna fighting against the clock to save the lives of a mother and unborn baby as I stood by literally feeling the sun beating down on my head with the red dirt settling on my tongue, Fiona has given us the Outback in all its ochre and brown glory, in a story that will warm your heart on a cold winter’s day.
A heart-warming tale of loss, love and the gift of family.
April 11, 2026
I did enjoy this book, despite the fact that romance isn't 'my thing'. The characters were very life like - you can imagine talking to them in a shop or pub. It was funny, sad, very dramatic and enjoyable all in one. A good book to curl up with.
June 24, 2014
Red Sand Sunrise is an engaging novel combining drama and romance in an outback setting written by accomplished author Fiona McArthur.
On the same day that her husband admits his affair with a neighbour and asks for a divorce, Dr Callie Wilson receives the news that her beloved father has passed away. Home in Red Sand, a remote township in far west Queensland, for the funeral, Callie is blindsided by yet more bad news and, with no pressing reason to return to Sydney, resolves to stay indefinitely. Fortunately she is offered the opportunity to oversee the establishment of the area's first medical clinic, and with it the chance to get to know her half sister, Eve.
Eve Wilson, a Brisbane midwife, isn't sure of the reception she will receive from her father's widow and the half sister she has never met, but she feels certain that attending his funeral is the right thing to do. Their warm welcome is a surprise, as is Callie's invitation to remain in Red Sand to staff the new clinic, and her attraction to local station owner, Lex McKay.
Dr Sienna Wilson, an ambitious Melbourne obstetrician, doesn't understand her sister's decision to attend their estranged father's funeral, nor why Eve would choose to remain in the middle of nowhere. She is horrified when her hospital, encouraged by a substantial donation from the the Red Sand clinic's benefactor, insists she spends three months in the town to investigate the cause of a series of premature births and stillbirths in the region.
The story of Red Sand Sunrise unfolds as these three women, Callie, Eve and Sienna, face various personal and professional challenges, ranging from Callie's fear of providing maternity care after her own tragic loss, to Eve's search to find somewhere she 'fits', and to Sienna's realisation she doesn't have all the answers. McArthur ably crafts distinct individual personalities for the sisters and I found them each to be appealing characters.
There is quite a lot of emotional drama in Red Sand Sunrise, Callie especially is forced to cope with several distressing events in a relatively short period of time. I was surprised to find myself tearing up (just a little) during two pivotal scenes, but also wondered if perhaps it was a little too much.
There are also some moments of high tension which involve a few of the medical emergencies Callie, Eve and Sienna have to manage. McArthur, who has years of experience as a rural midwife, draws on her own experience and expertise to illustrate the challenges of accessing and providing medical assistance, and in particular antenatal care, in remote regions of Australia.
I enjoyed the romantic elements in the novel, Callie reconnects with her teenage sweetheart, Eve is smitten by Lex McKay and Sienna sets her sights on local police officer, Sergeant McCabe. Somewhat surprisingly, the developing relationships don't overwhelm the story, which I appreciated.
Red Sand Sunrise is an engaging story of three sisters challenged by family, grief, romance and tragedy, set within the remote landscape of the Australian outback. I would happily recommend this heartfelt novel to fans of contemporary rural or medical romance.
August 13, 2014
We all know that one person, the one who if something bad is going to happen it will happen to them. In Fiona McArthur's Red Sand Sunrise that woman is Dr Callie Piper. Before you even get to the first chapter poor Callie finds out (within a few minutes of each other) that her husband is not only leaving her, but also having a baby with his new girlfriend, and that her beloved father has suddenly died. Her once orderly life is suddenly sent into a tailspin as she heads back to home at Red Sand in outback Queensland to be with her mother and meet her 2 half sisters for the first time.
But as is the case is most outback towns, there isn't time to sit and mourn, because Red Sands is desperate for medical help, especially for their pregnant 'locals' and if town matriarch Blanche McKay gets her way (which she usually does) the talented Wilson sisters may just be the ones to save their women.
With plenty of heartbreak (I wont spoil it but really - how much can poor Callie take?)but lots of good country warmth Red Sand Sunrise will leave you a warm feeling and while this is a novel anyone who has read books like Nurses of the Outback you will realise how well researched and realistic this book is.
This is the first of Fiona's books I have read but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work. Normally a book like this wouldn't of taken me so long to read but I kept getting interrupted! It was, despite the topics it covered, an easy, well flowing read.
But as is the case is most outback towns, there isn't time to sit and mourn, because Red Sands is desperate for medical help, especially for their pregnant 'locals' and if town matriarch Blanche McKay gets her way (which she usually does) the talented Wilson sisters may just be the ones to save their women.
With plenty of heartbreak (I wont spoil it but really - how much can poor Callie take?)but lots of good country warmth Red Sand Sunrise will leave you a warm feeling and while this is a novel anyone who has read books like Nurses of the Outback you will realise how well researched and realistic this book is.
This is the first of Fiona's books I have read but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work. Normally a book like this wouldn't of taken me so long to read but I kept getting interrupted! It was, despite the topics it covered, an easy, well flowing read.
August 2, 2014
Heartwarming, and emotional at times, this is a story mainly about strong, talented and caring women. Three of these women are disconnected sisters, all successful in medical careers in different Australian capital cities. Two other woman add impetus to the story - the mother of the eldest daughter who spreads her aura of love while in the midst of ill-health, and a philanthropic station owner.
These woman are brought together for the funeral of the father of the sisters in a remote far west Queensland township. Several 'hunky' men add to the atmosphere as time goes by......... and the lives of all are changed forever.
The descriptions of life in the outback, the countryside and the wildlife make the reader actually experience life in this remote part of Australia.
Thank you to Fiona for sharing your talents and expertise, and giving us such an absorbing read!
These woman are brought together for the funeral of the father of the sisters in a remote far west Queensland township. Several 'hunky' men add to the atmosphere as time goes by......... and the lives of all are changed forever.
The descriptions of life in the outback, the countryside and the wildlife make the reader actually experience life in this remote part of Australia.
Thank you to Fiona for sharing your talents and expertise, and giving us such an absorbing read!
March 14, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
When the father she barely knew dies suddenly, midwife Eve Wilson decides she owes it to him to go the funeral and meet her stepfamily in Red Sand. She doesn't expect to be so completely charmed by the beautiful remote township in far west Queensland – or by local station owner, Lex McKay.
After disappointment and heartbreak in Sydney, Dr Callie Wilson decides it might be time to move home to spend some time with her grieving mother. When she is approached to oversee the establishment of the area's first medical clinic, it seems the perfect opportunity. And Callie is keen to involve Eve, the sister she's just getting to know.
Melbourne-based obstetrician Sienna Wilson can't understand why anyone would want to bury themselves in the outback, but when her hospital sends her north to research the medical mystery affecting women in Red Sand, it seems fate is intent on bringing the three sisters together. And when disaster strikes, they must each decide if being true to themselves means being there for each other...
From the start of this book, I thought I was going to get another Australian rural romance novel...and that would have been fine. I enjoy them, they are a great choice for something lighter to read between other novels or works of non-fiction.
But this book was more than that. This was more about the power of family, the strength of women to overcome any obstacle and also the power of the heart. It tells the story of a sisters, and coming home.
I have to say that the three main women in this story were definitely the highlights of this story. The personal stories of Eve, Callie and Sienna are at times heartbreaking, but to see them stand against their fears and overcome them was fantastic.
The romantic element of this story played second fiddle to the relationships between family members - and that was quite a bonus. While each of the women had a love interest, it never outweighed the telling of the story of the sisters or medical mystery in Red Sand.
As always, a standout for this book was the descriptions of the Australian outback. It would be easy to say that there is a dead tree and a bunch of sand...and that could be technically true - but the author does go well beyond that and let's the reader feel the dust and dirt in their faces, the heat beating down on the heads and the sense of isolation that comes from living in a small community like this.
All in all, another great addition to the Australian rural novel collection. More than just another romance novel...
Paul
ARH
When the father she barely knew dies suddenly, midwife Eve Wilson decides she owes it to him to go the funeral and meet her stepfamily in Red Sand. She doesn't expect to be so completely charmed by the beautiful remote township in far west Queensland – or by local station owner, Lex McKay.
After disappointment and heartbreak in Sydney, Dr Callie Wilson decides it might be time to move home to spend some time with her grieving mother. When she is approached to oversee the establishment of the area's first medical clinic, it seems the perfect opportunity. And Callie is keen to involve Eve, the sister she's just getting to know.
Melbourne-based obstetrician Sienna Wilson can't understand why anyone would want to bury themselves in the outback, but when her hospital sends her north to research the medical mystery affecting women in Red Sand, it seems fate is intent on bringing the three sisters together. And when disaster strikes, they must each decide if being true to themselves means being there for each other...
From the start of this book, I thought I was going to get another Australian rural romance novel...and that would have been fine. I enjoy them, they are a great choice for something lighter to read between other novels or works of non-fiction.
But this book was more than that. This was more about the power of family, the strength of women to overcome any obstacle and also the power of the heart. It tells the story of a sisters, and coming home.
I have to say that the three main women in this story were definitely the highlights of this story. The personal stories of Eve, Callie and Sienna are at times heartbreaking, but to see them stand against their fears and overcome them was fantastic.
The romantic element of this story played second fiddle to the relationships between family members - and that was quite a bonus. While each of the women had a love interest, it never outweighed the telling of the story of the sisters or medical mystery in Red Sand.
As always, a standout for this book was the descriptions of the Australian outback. It would be easy to say that there is a dead tree and a bunch of sand...and that could be technically true - but the author does go well beyond that and let's the reader feel the dust and dirt in their faces, the heat beating down on the heads and the sense of isolation that comes from living in a small community like this.
All in all, another great addition to the Australian rural novel collection. More than just another romance novel...
Paul
ARH
June 25, 2014
Midwife Eve Wilson barely knew her father but when he dies she decides that she owes it to him to travel to the funeral in outback Queensland and meet her stepfamily. She doesn’t expect to be so taken with both the other part of her father’s family and also, the town itself. Far west Queensland is brutal but also breathtakingly beautiful as well.
Eve’s half sister Dr Callie Wilson not only has to deal with the shock death of her father but also another personal tragedy as well. She moves back to Red Sand to spend time with her mother, the two of them providing support for each other in their shared grief. It also gives Callie a chance to meet one of her two half sisters, when Eve arrives for their father’s funeral. Eve and Callie find a common ground almost immediately and are both keen to get to know each other and develop their relationship. Eve and Callie are both given a chance to help establish the area’s first medical clinic, where both will get a chance to share their expertise and help in the day to day medical issues of their rural community.
Eve’s other sister Sienna, the one she grew up with, can’t understand why Eve would throw everything away to go and stay out in some rural backwater for six months. An obstetrician on her way up the career ladder as fast as possible, Sienna lives and works in Melbourne and has no interest in visiting Red Sand, for their father’s funeral or otherwise. Unfortunately for Sienna, Red Sand has Blanche McKay, the driving force behind the small town’s first medical clinic and she wants Sienna’s expertise. There’s a medical mystery to solve in Red Sand and Sienna finds herself sold out and heading bush in order to investigate what is going on up there.
Fate is bringing the three sisters together and giving them the chance to have what they were denied growing up – a proper family relationship. They’ll need to be there for each other and they’re going to need all the skills they have in order to not only work out what the medical mystery is but also work to save someone special when disaster wants to take them away.
I’ve never been very far west in my life. When I was 12, my parents took us to the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, which was a lot of fun (and exhausting). I think that is the furthest west in Australia I’ve ever been. I grew up on the Mid North Coast of NSW and since then have never lived much further than 10-15m from the ocean. However, this book took me into the heart of far western Queensland and I loved every bit of it!
When I pick up a rural romance, it’s ones like these that I really enjoy reading. Eve and Callie are such wonderful characters. They share a father but have different mothers – it’s a bit of a complicated family past but Fiona McArthur explains it well. Both Eve and Callie are open to getting to know each other, enthusiastic about it even. Eve’s mother has passed but Callie’s welcomes Eve to Red Sand and into their lives. A trip for her father’s funeral and to meet her other family members turns into returning to help set up the town’s first medical clinic. Birthing in rural areas can be difficult – often women have to leave at 36wks and travel to an area that has a fully equipped hospital. This leaves them away from their family for weeks at a time – it could be anything up to 7 or 8 weeks depending on when they actually birthed and how long they and their babies spend in hospital. This obviously doesn’t suit everyone, especially busy farming women who also often already have other small children. Many would appreciate being able to at least have all their check ups much closer to home and maybe even the chance to birth close too, providing they are deemed low risk.
Experiencing Eve and Callie form a friendship was such a fun process to watch. I don’t have a sister and even though Eve grew up with her other sister Sienna, the two of them aren’t particularly close. Sienna is ambitious and dedicated and I think Eve feels that Sienna seems to regard her as a bit of a mess, a poor Eve type thing. With Callie Eve is a person fully formed and the two of them are both adults, forging that adult relationship. Both Eve and Callie are so likable, they’re exactly the sort of people I’d want to be friends with myself. Especially if I lived in a small community like Red Sand. The introduction of Sienna, who is very different, was fascinating because in the first few times the reader sees her, she’s not really that likable. She is not backwards in her thoughts about Red Sand and just how much she doesn’t want to be there, either. However the more Sienna appeared, the more I liked her. She was greatly improved when she met the local police officer, a man of few words. Sienna came to realise that rural medicine wasn’t a lesser career and that skills were just important out there in the real world in everyday situations as they were in an operating theater in a big hospital. Whereas she wasn’t particularly ‘hands on’ in the past, Sienna gets the chance to give it a go more than once and she finds it’s not really so bad!
There are three heroines in this novel, so that gives us three heroes. And they are all so very wonderful! I’m a big fan of the tall, handsome and mysterious type so….Lex McKay quickly became my favourite. Or as Eve describes him, ‘a stern-faced giant’. The sparks fly early on between those two but it’s also quite an understated budding romance. Lex has some complications that he must deal with and Eve has to decide if Red Sand is for her on a more permanent basis. I loved their interactions though – actually I loved all of the interactions all of the characters had in this book. There’s so much warmth and charm here. That laid-back vibe kind of makes it all the more shocking when something terrible occurs and I was utterly immersed in that scene. As a mother, I do have a bit of an interest in delivery – sometimes I think that I should’ve done widwifery. It’s the only aspect of nursing that interests me at all but when I was applying to university, I didn’t care for babies. If I was to do a degree now, it would most likely be that. Watching Eve and Sienna work was very interesting and I was definitely keen to find out what the answer was behind the medical mystery that kept affecting pregnant women in Red Sand.
I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was such a wonderful read and I am so keen to get out there and track down more books by Fiona McArthur. Highly recommend this one.
Eve’s half sister Dr Callie Wilson not only has to deal with the shock death of her father but also another personal tragedy as well. She moves back to Red Sand to spend time with her mother, the two of them providing support for each other in their shared grief. It also gives Callie a chance to meet one of her two half sisters, when Eve arrives for their father’s funeral. Eve and Callie find a common ground almost immediately and are both keen to get to know each other and develop their relationship. Eve and Callie are both given a chance to help establish the area’s first medical clinic, where both will get a chance to share their expertise and help in the day to day medical issues of their rural community.
Eve’s other sister Sienna, the one she grew up with, can’t understand why Eve would throw everything away to go and stay out in some rural backwater for six months. An obstetrician on her way up the career ladder as fast as possible, Sienna lives and works in Melbourne and has no interest in visiting Red Sand, for their father’s funeral or otherwise. Unfortunately for Sienna, Red Sand has Blanche McKay, the driving force behind the small town’s first medical clinic and she wants Sienna’s expertise. There’s a medical mystery to solve in Red Sand and Sienna finds herself sold out and heading bush in order to investigate what is going on up there.
Fate is bringing the three sisters together and giving them the chance to have what they were denied growing up – a proper family relationship. They’ll need to be there for each other and they’re going to need all the skills they have in order to not only work out what the medical mystery is but also work to save someone special when disaster wants to take them away.
I’ve never been very far west in my life. When I was 12, my parents took us to the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, which was a lot of fun (and exhausting). I think that is the furthest west in Australia I’ve ever been. I grew up on the Mid North Coast of NSW and since then have never lived much further than 10-15m from the ocean. However, this book took me into the heart of far western Queensland and I loved every bit of it!
When I pick up a rural romance, it’s ones like these that I really enjoy reading. Eve and Callie are such wonderful characters. They share a father but have different mothers – it’s a bit of a complicated family past but Fiona McArthur explains it well. Both Eve and Callie are open to getting to know each other, enthusiastic about it even. Eve’s mother has passed but Callie’s welcomes Eve to Red Sand and into their lives. A trip for her father’s funeral and to meet her other family members turns into returning to help set up the town’s first medical clinic. Birthing in rural areas can be difficult – often women have to leave at 36wks and travel to an area that has a fully equipped hospital. This leaves them away from their family for weeks at a time – it could be anything up to 7 or 8 weeks depending on when they actually birthed and how long they and their babies spend in hospital. This obviously doesn’t suit everyone, especially busy farming women who also often already have other small children. Many would appreciate being able to at least have all their check ups much closer to home and maybe even the chance to birth close too, providing they are deemed low risk.
Experiencing Eve and Callie form a friendship was such a fun process to watch. I don’t have a sister and even though Eve grew up with her other sister Sienna, the two of them aren’t particularly close. Sienna is ambitious and dedicated and I think Eve feels that Sienna seems to regard her as a bit of a mess, a poor Eve type thing. With Callie Eve is a person fully formed and the two of them are both adults, forging that adult relationship. Both Eve and Callie are so likable, they’re exactly the sort of people I’d want to be friends with myself. Especially if I lived in a small community like Red Sand. The introduction of Sienna, who is very different, was fascinating because in the first few times the reader sees her, she’s not really that likable. She is not backwards in her thoughts about Red Sand and just how much she doesn’t want to be there, either. However the more Sienna appeared, the more I liked her. She was greatly improved when she met the local police officer, a man of few words. Sienna came to realise that rural medicine wasn’t a lesser career and that skills were just important out there in the real world in everyday situations as they were in an operating theater in a big hospital. Whereas she wasn’t particularly ‘hands on’ in the past, Sienna gets the chance to give it a go more than once and she finds it’s not really so bad!
There are three heroines in this novel, so that gives us three heroes. And they are all so very wonderful! I’m a big fan of the tall, handsome and mysterious type so….Lex McKay quickly became my favourite. Or as Eve describes him, ‘a stern-faced giant’. The sparks fly early on between those two but it’s also quite an understated budding romance. Lex has some complications that he must deal with and Eve has to decide if Red Sand is for her on a more permanent basis. I loved their interactions though – actually I loved all of the interactions all of the characters had in this book. There’s so much warmth and charm here. That laid-back vibe kind of makes it all the more shocking when something terrible occurs and I was utterly immersed in that scene. As a mother, I do have a bit of an interest in delivery – sometimes I think that I should’ve done widwifery. It’s the only aspect of nursing that interests me at all but when I was applying to university, I didn’t care for babies. If I was to do a degree now, it would most likely be that. Watching Eve and Sienna work was very interesting and I was definitely keen to find out what the answer was behind the medical mystery that kept affecting pregnant women in Red Sand.
I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was such a wonderful read and I am so keen to get out there and track down more books by Fiona McArthur. Highly recommend this one.
September 6, 2023
Actual Rating: 3.5 Star
Slowly reading through the backlog of books my mother unloaded on me. This is the definition of cozy contemporary Australian Country chick lit. It follows three sisters through a period of their lives after the loss of their father. All find new relationships and all have minor troubles they must over come. It's weird that I am calling them minor troubles, because if you just types them out (which I won't because spoilers), they seem like bigger troubles, but the way they are dealt with in the novel makes them seem small and manageable.
Each sister has a slightly different version of a happy ending, and one of the things I really respected about this book was that they didn't change Sienna's character dramatically to make her fit a traditional happy ending. She still showed growth, but she didn't have a personality transplant.
There is a medical subplot, but if you are searching for a Greys Anatomy style dramatic medical save, move along. Even this is dealt with in a subtle, dare I say boring, way. Nothing in this book feels high stakes.
That said, I enjoyed it. It was the book I needed to read at the moment because it was low stakes. It was one that I could pick up and put down and it was a super quick read. After a few of my most recent reads (I'm looking at you, Secrets & Masks), I needed something that felt like a warm bath. Soothing, gentle, no risk of emotional turmoil.
Slowly reading through the backlog of books my mother unloaded on me. This is the definition of cozy contemporary Australian Country chick lit. It follows three sisters through a period of their lives after the loss of their father. All find new relationships and all have minor troubles they must over come. It's weird that I am calling them minor troubles, because if you just types them out (which I won't because spoilers), they seem like bigger troubles, but the way they are dealt with in the novel makes them seem small and manageable.
Each sister has a slightly different version of a happy ending, and one of the things I really respected about this book was that they didn't change Sienna's character dramatically to make her fit a traditional happy ending. She still showed growth, but she didn't have a personality transplant.
There is a medical subplot, but if you are searching for a Greys Anatomy style dramatic medical save, move along. Even this is dealt with in a subtle, dare I say boring, way. Nothing in this book feels high stakes.
That said, I enjoyed it. It was the book I needed to read at the moment because it was low stakes. It was one that I could pick up and put down and it was a super quick read. After a few of my most recent reads (I'm looking at you, Secrets & Masks), I needed something that felt like a warm bath. Soothing, gentle, no risk of emotional turmoil.
October 5, 2021
This was a very enjoyable read and a plot only Fiona McArthur could write about a husband who strayed for a while and had two families. When the half-sisters, Callie and Eve, come together at the funeral of their father they realise that they have their careers in medicine in common and come together to form a local medical clinic in the small town of Red Sand to help save lives prior to the RFDS arriving to take the injured and sick to hospital.
They also need to find out about a medical mystery happening to females in Red Sand and send for a researcher to investigate. Enter Sienna, the third sister who has been sent up from Melbourne.
When disaster strikes the sisters will need to decide how they can support each other and whether they will stay in Red Sand.
They also need to find out about a medical mystery happening to females in Red Sand and send for a researcher to investigate. Enter Sienna, the third sister who has been sent up from Melbourne.
When disaster strikes the sisters will need to decide how they can support each other and whether they will stay in Red Sand.
November 4, 2024
Good little book, I enjoyed the medical plot lines as a deviation from most small town romances and I'd be keen to read more from this authors medical romances. It was nice to see the sisters all working together and that they all had something in common. I genuinely learnt a bit about the difficulties faced by rural pregnant women and gained an even greater appreciation for the RFDS!
Lost the 5th star as the writing sometime confused me about who was speaking, and single quotation marks were used for spoken words and also for irony/emphasis. It sounds pedantic to care about this, but it kept pulling me out of the book as I had to try to figure out who was talking, or if no one was talking.
Lost the 5th star as the writing sometime confused me about who was speaking, and single quotation marks were used for spoken words and also for irony/emphasis. It sounds pedantic to care about this, but it kept pulling me out of the book as I had to try to figure out who was talking, or if no one was talking.
September 11, 2022
A somewhat complicated relationship of sisters & half sisters coming together after the death of their father. It brings together a Doctor, an obstetrician and a midwife together in the outback. All have their own baggage. A matriarch of one family decides to pull together a medical clinic in the area to support the Flying Doctor Service to achieve improved medical outcomes for the area. A number of relationships, palliative care, a pregnancy and an accident validate the need for this & lead also to a number of romances.
I give this book a 4.5 stars.
I give this book a 4.5 stars.
May 4, 2026
Perfectly fine story about three women battling it out in the Aussie outback. Surprises, love, death, lots of things going on.
I like the aspect of the story with the sisters connecting/reconnecting. Surprisingly the romance feels unnecessary, but it is nice to see everyone getting a happy ending.
I audiobooked this story, I think it would have been better as a physical read. Differentiation between each of the women in the audiobook was difficult and it took me a while to learn who everyone was.
I like the aspect of the story with the sisters connecting/reconnecting. Surprisingly the romance feels unnecessary, but it is nice to see everyone getting a happy ending.
I audiobooked this story, I think it would have been better as a physical read. Differentiation between each of the women in the audiobook was difficult and it took me a while to learn who everyone was.
February 8, 2020
Wow, what a moving and very emotional story. I loved it from start to finish. It really brings home the issues faced by people living in the outback while delivering a couple of amazing love stories. Fiona McArthur is an excellent Author and will feature in my must read list of favorite authors.
December 16, 2023
Wonderful
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Wonderfully written. I could almost see
The outback when reading. I already read the first book and now can't wait to read the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Wonderfully written. I could almost see
The outback when reading. I already read the first book and now can't wait to read the series.
February 12, 2018
This is the First book by Fiona McArthur that I have read. Once I start reading this book I couldn't put the book down. Will write down more.
October 1, 2020
Quick easy read, enjoyed the look into life in outback Australia and just how hard it is for the strong woman who live there
May 14, 2021
Absolutely loved it. Found it very hard to put down. A nice easy style making it very easy to sit back and enjoy.
May 24, 2021
Great book!
July 2, 2021
Loved this one on audio! Love these books by Fiona Macarthur. Fabulous author.
February 10, 2023
Enjoyable read by Fiona McArthur, only unbelievable part was the quick turnaround time to get replacement nursing staff to a remote posting 🤣 loved it, but sad I read the sequel first.
May 8, 2023
I really enjoyed this outback story - informative and entertaining. Will certainly look out for more from this author. Thanks
January 28, 2024
Good flowing light story
February 16, 2024
So so good! Kept me on my toes and gives all the good feels.
January 21, 2025
omg such a great read. So much sadness that I was crying and then finally happy happened ❤️ loved this book
March 11, 2025
4.5 stars
March 26, 2026
A bit disjointed
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