Dust of the Land

by J.H. Fletcher

An epic saga of one woman’s strength through her trials in love and betrayal on Australia’s red frontier.

Bella Tucker has come a long way. Born illegitimate and banished to the London slums by her vindictive stepmother, at six Bella is rescued by her grandfather and brought up as a member of the aristocratic Richmond family. Her future seems assured when she
falls passionately in love with Charles Hardy, heir to the wealthy Hardy estate — until her grandfather’s death changes everything…

Heartbroken and headstrong, Bella flees to Australia, where she is offered a job by the charismatic Garth Tucker, owner - of Miranda Downs, a vast cattle station in the stunning and remote Pilbara region. After several near disasters, she finds herself falling in love with Garth amidst the dust, heat and the endless expanse of bush.

Together, Bella and Garth become major players in the new mining industry, allowing Bella to build her dream home, the sprawling homestead, ‘Desire’. But after Garth’s unfortunate death, Bella is forced to deal with circumstances that bring the family close to ruin… and the business Bella and Garth have built to the brink of collapse.

Can Bella untangle the lies and save the business and her family home? And will she ever lay eyes again on the man she never ceased to love, Charles Hardy?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Historical, Australia

490 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

J.H. Fletcher is the prize-winning author of fifteen novels, published to both critical and popular acclaim in Australia, Germany and the UK, as well as numerous short stories and plays for radio and television.

He was educated in England and France and travelled and worked in Europe, Asia and Africa before emigrating to Australia in 1991. Home is now a house within sight of the Western Tier Mountains in northern Tasmania.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

1930s London and Bella Tucker was only sixteen when she left her home, with a family who had hired her as the governess to their two children. Her life for the past ten years had been filled with trauma; finally, after the death of her grandfather, she knew she couldn’t live in the same house as her hateful stepmother – she was shipbound for Australia and Charters Towers in Queensland.

But for various reasons, Bella moved on, until she was employed by Garth Tucker, owner of the huge cattle station, Miranda Downs, in the vast Pilbara region of Western Australia. As Bella came into her own, realizing her strength of character and business sense, as well as her love of the land, she and Garth married. Their future seemed assured as they entered the mining industry. But all was not to be roses with bitter rivals and manipulating people determined to do them harm. What would be the outcome for Bella and her family as she moved toward her twilight years?

Dust of the Land by Aussie author J.H. Fletcher is a family saga which spans sixty years, beginning in London with the six-year-old Bella and detailing her life, betrayal, trials and tribulations, love and grief, determination and immense strength which sees her through it all. A thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction novel - that I have owned since mid 2014! - and which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Excellent read.

First time reading this author, I will read more of his works.

Fab audio listen narrated by Eloise Oxer
Duration: 17 hours, 29 minutes

[Kerrie Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a family saga for a while so it was good to find an Australian one to get back into the genre. I really enjoyed the story, and liked the characters, but didn't really love them. I felt at a bit of a distance from them so I wasn't pulled into the story as much as I'd hoped. Still a good read - and it made my 2 day power outage during the Hunter Valley storms pass a lot quicker!

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I have settled down and read a family saga so was delighted when I was offered the chance to read DUST OF THE LAND. The book follows the story of Bella from a tiny child post first world war through to her 60th birthday which is set in the books ‘present’ which I am guessing was in the 1990s. The book opens at Bella’s birthday party and we learn that corporate skulduggery has taken place and someone is out to destroy her iron ore company. The suspects are introduced, and then the story of the investigation into who has betrayed Bella along with the fight to save Bella’s company is interspersed with her back story from childhood to the point she is at now. Once or twice I was a bit lost as to what time period I was in – but once I got into the chapter it soon cleared up for me. I think dates at the top of the chapter, or section, would have been useful for me so I didn’t lose the flow. It does portray what it must have been like to be a woman in a man’s business – mining. Not that I am implying women can’t run a mining business – it’s just that a lot of the men in the industry at the time Bella and her husband were setting up the company didn’t. When she was widowed it was assumed she would just fade out of sight, but she came out into the arena solo and fighting. DUST OF THE LAND also looks at how white land ownership impacted on the Australian Aboriginal people’s customs and traditions and that respect of these customs and traditions was possible. The Australian Outback is a character of its own, the Pilbara region just coming alive on the pages. Chinese business negotiation customs are also looked at, China is set to become a trading partner of Bella’s and her Chinese daughter-in-law is able to advise Bella. Then there is feminism and the roles of women, not only Bella but her daughter Peace and daughter-in-law Su-Ying. It is this blend of story and back stories that made DUST OF THE LAND an enjoyable read. It looks at life warts and all, and Bella is in the thick of it, not just living in the background as a support act. Bella is a strong woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself and loves her business, her family and her adopted country of Australia deeply.

C – Above average. Was very readable and I really liked it but was easily able to put it down and walk away for a while.

With thanks to Harlequin (Australia) and the author for my copy to read and review.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this family saga, and really liked Bella's character. I felt frustration for her when things didn't go the way it was planned!
At the end, with the little twist, I did come to the conclusion as I was reading. Although surprising, it was also not as that betraying character has as strong, yet naive personality.
Also, it was nice to ready something which was set in Australia for a change, in fact in outback Australia. The surroundings were given justice with narration which I really appreciated.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first J.H. Fletcher book I have read, and after listening to this one, I am keen to read/listen to more of his work. :)

It took a while for me to really get involved in the story, (but this may be because I was initially listening to it in fits and starts, and always when I was about ready for dream world). That said, I quite enjoyed it, (once I worked out how the story was continually going back and forth in time periods of Bella's life). I especially liked the ending and how Bella's family also had stories of their own within. In the end it was the continual going backwards and forwards that really intrigued me, as it had to make you keep thinking about what was happening and why.

This was an epic journey and I really liked how Bella came full circle by the end.

3.5 - 4 stars. :)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, easy, ok read. I didn’t find Dust of the Land anyway page-turning, but more a cosy Sunday afternoon read. This book alternates between past and present and the story is about Bella, an illegitimate child to a housemaid and an earl and when the earl’s wife cannot have children, Bella is taken from her mother and raised at the family estate in England. When things go horribly wrong for Bella, she heads to Australia and this section of the book I really enjoyed. I loved the past, wasn’t so fussed on the present. All the business talk in the ‘present’ sections and trying to save the empire she had created etc got a bit bogged down for me. But if you like historical saga’s, you will enjoy this read.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant! Fantastic! Thoroughly enjoyable. The narrator (given it was an audio book) did a marvelous job. Highly recommended. This is the second book from this author that I have read and it won't be the last. Obvious ending but nothing that any reader would not want to see happen in any case.

My only criticism would have to be that it was annoying that Bella did not see that her daughter in laws Chinese family and connections had a very huge impact on the outcome. For someone so apparently intelligent and business savvy not to realise was quite a disappointment right at the end. It was so bleeding obvious. But this did only account for the last few pages so I wasn't annoyed for a long part.

[R.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

English review below the Greek one...

Το βιβλίο δεν είναι κάτι που θα επέλεγα η ίδια, έπεσε στα χέρια μου τυχαία. Είχε τις υπερβολές του και τα ρομάτζα του, τα οποία εγώ απεχθάνομαι, είχε και στοιχεία σαπουνόπερας μέσα και θα μπορούσε να είναι κατά πολύ μικρότερο από τις 500 σελίδες του.

Ωστόσο αυτό που μου άρεσε είναι όταν η πλοκή μεταφέρεται στην Αυστραλία περίπου στον δεύτερο παγκόσμιο πόλεμο στις απομακρυμένες περιοχές των ράντζων και των Αβορίγινων, όπου περιγράφει μία ιδιαίτερη φυσική ομορφιά, έναν σκληρό τρόπο ζωής και πως σταδιακά τις επόμενες δεκαετίες ανακαλύφθηκαν μεταλλεύματα που άλλαξαν την φυσιογνωμία της περιοχής.
Το βιβλίο έχει και πολλά άλλα στοιχεία, καταστάσεις και περιοχές της γης μέσα, αλλά τα πολλά κλισέ και η τροπή της ιστορίας δεν μου άρεσε τόσο, χωρίς να είναι αυτά τα στοιχεία αποτρεπτικά για κάποιον αναγνώστη που το βιβλίο είναι πιο κοντά στα γούστα του...

This book is not something I would have chosen by myself, it came my way randomly. It's full of the usual exaggerations and romances -which I stronly dislike-, it featured many soap opera elements and it could have been much shorter than its 500 pages.

However, what I liked is the part of the book taking place in Australia around the second world war in the remote areas of the ranches and the Aborigines, where the author describes a unique landscape, a hard way of life and how gradually in the following decades ores were discovered that changed the physiognomy of the area. The book contains many other elements, situations and regions of the earth in it, but the many clichés and the twists of the story did not appeal to me so much, without these elements being a deterrent for a more suitable reader, fonder for romances and come-uppances and poor to riches plots...

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was ok. It was a long epic about a woman from England who comes to Australia and ends up heading up a successful business. As a woman she is underestimated and she is betrayed by the people closest to her. In this way it is a very similar story line to "A Woman of Substance" by Barbara Taylor-Bradford.

There were two things that did annoy me about the book. Firstly we didn't actually find out who betrayed her (there are just hints) and there was no confrontation scene. Secondly the whole pining for a lost love didn't seem aligned with her character at all.

It was an ok read and I would recommend it.

[Tamara Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story line and an okay family saga but unfortunately I wasn’t invested in the characters... I was at one stage with the main character Bella but the story wasn’t as fluent as it could be and that investment dwindled... there was the potential for a beautiful love story but this opportunity was missed or brought into the ending as an afterthought.
I thought the book was wrapped up quickly too..

Not a bad read but not my favourite by a long shot

[Kerrie McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a family saga for a while so it was good to find an Australian one to get back into the genre. I really enjoyed the story, and liked the characters, but didn't really love them. I felt at a bit of a distance from them so I wasn't pulled into the story as much as I'd hoped. Still a good read - and it made my 2 day power outage during the Hunter Valley storms pass a lot quicker!

[Amanda Woolley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of the life of Bella Tucker (nee Tempest) a fictional tale with glimpses of Australian history and class structures. My only complaint was the ending left loose ends which as a reader I would have prefered be tied up prior to conclusion. I hope Bella would have got her happy ending that was hinted at if the story had continued.

[Sue Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a beautiful book with a story overtime. I am glad I have found this author. Definitely worth the read

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read. Fast moving. Great story.

[Barbara Bosher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful novel about the strength and determination of a young woman, and her never ending challenges.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a few years ago now, I used to devour books like Dust of the Land – historical sagas set in the Australian Outback with strong characters facing hardship. Then, I started reading more widely and this subgenre fell by the wayside. Reading Dust of the Land reminded me of how cosy I find this type of read and how it celebrates not only the Australian bush (that’s countryside, not anything naughty!) but the Aussie spirit.

Dust of the Land tells the story of Bella, an illegitimate child to a housemaid and an earl. When the earl’s wife cannot have children, Bella is taken from her mother and raised at the family estate in England. It’s not an easy life as the earl’s wife hates the very sight of her, but her grandfather is kind and she falls in love with the boy next door. Sadly, meddlesome events send Bella on a ship to Australia, mourning the loss of Charles in her life. Bella meets Garth Tucker, owner of a station near Wyndham, Western Australia and after a number of events, finds herself at Miranda Downs, ready to work at whatever life throws her way. However, we know from the start of the story that Bella is now a much older widow, who runs one of first iron ore mines in the Pilbara region. How did she get there and can she now prevent her company falling to pieces?

The story is told alternating from the present day Bella (which seems to be around 1980, give or take a few years) and following Bella’s youth from the 1930s onwards. For the majority of the time, it’s easy to tell where Bella is in her life, but a couple of times I was confused for several paragraphs. This is a minor point though and didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. It’s evident from following Bella that she’s one strong lady. Initially, I was about to put her in the same basket as current first lady of iron ore mining, Gina Rinehart, but Bella’s very different. (Not that I know Ms Rinehart personally!) Bella’s also from an era where independence and leadership by women was literally unheard of (she had to take her husband to meetings with bankers and business associates otherwise she wouldn’t be taken seriously). She’s a trailblazer who takes lemons and makes incredibly good lemonade from them.

Aside from Bella’s story, there are other themes explored in Dust of the Land. The customs and traditions of the Australian Aboriginal people are explored, particularly in relation to death. Chinese customs, traditions and the rise of China in industry are also covered through the character of Su-Ying, Bella’s daughter in law, and when Bella does business with the Chinese. Feminism and the roles of women – and how Bella, Su-Ying and Bella’s daughter, Peace, are a common theme. Finally, the love of the Australian Outback is covered and the role mining plays in it is mentioned briefly by Peace, in thinking it’s a pity that the land is torn up to find the ore underneath.

I found this book very enjoyable. It’s easy to read and Bella’s life is full of ups and downs so it’s never boring. There’s always a new problem or an unexpected event just waiting to shake her up. But Bella succeeds through the toughest of times and she’s a pleasant character to follow. If you enjoy a historical saga that deals with practicalities like women in business over who marries who, I suggest you try Dust of the Land.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy of this book.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

At over 500 plus pages in length, Dust of the Land is definitely a grand in scale Australian novel. It left a long lasting impression on me. It is wonderfully written and highly engaging. When I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be reading it. To me that signals not just a good book, but a five star book. Dust of the Land offers an expansive and well researched history of Australia, with particular focus on the early days of mining in Western Australia. Also covered in this full bodied narrative are issues such as foreign investors encroaching on Australian land and Aboriginal customs. The fervent plot is matched by a strong and very memorable heroine in Bella. Du of the Land is an expansive novel in time and place. It follows Bella’s life as an illegitimate child of an Earl and a housemaid in England, to life in the remote Pilbara region and later in the city of Perth. A powerful tale that left a lasting impression on me, I am happy to recommend this book to those who appreciate Australian history weaved into a family saga. I’m looking forward to reading another book by J.H. Fletcher, as soon as I can get my hands on one!

[Kez Mckenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm an avid reader of Australian Outback sagas and was very excited to receive a copy of Dust of The Land. The story talks about Belle's life, from a post war child to her 60th birthday. The story alternated between Belle's present day and to her past and the events that have lead her to where she is now. Life throws a lot at Belle but she is a strong lady, surviving in a male dominated business (mining) she has to fight to be taken seriously.

Aboriginal customs and traditions are looked at which I found interesting. The Chinese business customs, their traditions are also spoken about as Belle's daughter in law is Chinese.

I found this book quite enjoyable to read, though, I did get confused a few times in the switching between time periods but didn't take long to pick up where we were in Belle's life.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading historical sagas and the way of the Australian Outback.

Thank you to the Author and Harlequin Australia for the copy of the book.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Dust on the Land' by J Fletcher was a long drawn-out saga of a poor, illegitimate woman who vows to be rich one day. I did not warm to her; I think the author was trying to portray a strong-willed woman in a man's world, but I didn't care what happened to her. She was far too calculating and all she could think of was money, especially when she builds a mega-palatial house in Perth. I was not that interested in the detailed business arrangements with China that were described in detail. Even the rat-in-the-rank was obvious, so no suspense there. It seemed to be loosely based on Lang Hancock and his iron empire in the Pilbara in Western Australia in the 1960s, a topic that hasn't been covered before in fiction, so for that it gets 2 stars.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a little slow to start with but picked up nicely. I really enjoyed the section set in the Pilbara. I found that the story got bogged down a little in the details around the financing of Bella's ventures and found that towards the end I was skipping bits (never a good sign) just to get the story moving. I was not happy with the ending. I felt there were too many loose ends left for the reader to ponder. Overall it was a relatively easy read. Perfect holiday reading. Would have given 3 1/2 stars if possible.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite remarkable saga built on the exploits of a strong minded person who wouldn't allow life's up and downs defeat her. A determined person who chose to take on the challenges of the unknown in Australia rather than allow her stepmother to direct her life. Very well written showing the beauty and harshness of the outback and the hardships of those who chose to live there. The risks of Bella's dreams, whether in her business or private life, were high but the rewards and satisfaction were limitless if she succeeded.

[Rita Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable - not as gripping as The Governor's House but still a well-written saga about a determined and powerful woman. I still find it hard to believe that the author, J.H. Fletcher, is male as he portrays Bella's feelings and emotions so engagingly.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good read. Bella's life beginning in the slums of London to mining in the Pilbara.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit disappointing after it promised so much. The historical part was better than the current time but it was a bit slow.

[Robyn Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the start - not too sure - slow - but it just got better and better - I didn't want to put it down - though I didn't want it to end either

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok, i wouldnt rave about it. if gina rinehardt had a made up life this would be her story. very much based on their lives

[Verita Bergh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Rachel Froude]

I liked reading about outback Australia and reliving places I have travelled, however I thought the story glib.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! I was very engaged! I was not satisfied with the conclusion of the betrayal by her daughter and I wanted to know how it went with Charles at the end!!