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A Distant Journey
Celebrating 25 years as Australia's favourite storyteller with new novel The Night Tide out now.Di Morrissey's, A Distant Journey is a tribute to the real Australia she knows so well.In 1962 Cindy drops out of college to impulsively marry Australian grazier Murray Parnell, moving from the glamorous world of Palm Springs, California, to an isolated sheep station on the sweeping plains of the Riverina in New South Wales.Cindy is flung into a challenging world at Kingsley Downs station. While facing natural disasters and the caprices of the wool industry, Cindy battles to find her place in her new family and continues to feel like an outsider. As she adjusts to her new life, Cindy realises that the Parnells are haunted by a mystery that has never been solved. When she finally uncovers the shocking truth, her discovery leads to tragedy and Cindy finds herself fighting to save the land that she has grown to love as her own.PRAISE FOR A DISTANT JOURNEY "One of Morrissey's best tales yet." Australian Women's Weekly"A sense of place ... the sweep of history, the winds of change which blow through the towns and cities, the forests and farms, the cold mountain ranges and the hot, dry deserts ... fill her books." West Australian
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2016
106 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Di Morrissey
77 books381 followersDi Morrissey (born 18 March 1943 in Wingham, New South Wales) is one of Australia's most popular female novelists. She grew up in the remote surrounds of Pittwater, north of Sydney, Australia.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
December 30, 2018
Dropping out of college to marry an Australian grazier and moving from Palm Springs, California to a remote sheep station in New South Wales was a decision that Cindy would regret.
Cindy had no idea how tough her life would get once she moved into Kingsley station. Isolation was only part of the problem the other was dealing with her father in law the man who despised her and made it clear he didn't like her.
In time Cindy would discover family secrets that could lead to tragedy, but was there anything she could do to stop this from happening or was it too late.
The Distant Journey by Aussie author Di Morrissey was an entertaining read and one in which I quite enjoyed. Recommended.
Cindy had no idea how tough her life would get once she moved into Kingsley station. Isolation was only part of the problem the other was dealing with her father in law the man who despised her and made it clear he didn't like her.
In time Cindy would discover family secrets that could lead to tragedy, but was there anything she could do to stop this from happening or was it too late.
The Distant Journey by Aussie author Di Morrissey was an entertaining read and one in which I quite enjoyed. Recommended.
January 10, 2017
Celebrated Australian storyteller Di Morrissey is back with her usual Christmas release, a new novel titled A Distant Journey. In her twenty fifth year of writing novels, A Distant Journey is a novel that harks back to where Morrissey’s writing career began. It is not too dissimilar to Morrissey’s first novel, Heart of the Dreaming. Both novels are examples of great outback sagas.
A Distant Journey begins in the 1960’s, in the picturesque Palm Springs, California. The reader is first introduced to Babs, a woman with a young child named Joey, who is starting anew after a bad marriage. Soon after Babs settles into her new home in the glamorous Palm Springs, her niece Cindy lands on her doorstop. Cindy becomes the pivotal character in A Distant Journey, as the novels shifts away from Babs and onto Cindy’s important pathway. Cindy is a college student when she engages in a holiday romance with a handsome Australian man, Murray Parnell. This fling comes directly after a heartbreaking split from Cindy’s first love, Robbie. Lust soon becomes true love; leading Murray and Cindy impulsively marry in Vegas. It isn’t long before the happy couple jet off to the other side of the world, to Murray’s home in Australia. Cindy learns upon her arrival in Australia that Murray is the heir to a huge grazing empire. Cindy finds she must adjust immediately to life in rural Australia and negotiate a convoluted relationship with her father- in-law, Lawerence. Cindy is a woman determined to prove her father- in- law wrong and she soon makes a go of her life in her new home of Kingsley Downs. Cindy is also determined to get to the bottom of a family secret held by Lawerence, over the mysterious disappearance of his wife Rose, many years ago. Decades go by and the Parnell’s witness the happy expansion of their family. They also suffer from a number of disasters that threaten Kingsley Downs over the years, before the mystery of Rose is truly solved.
Di Morrissey is an author I always look forward to purchasing her annual release. A Distant Journey is another solid effort by Morrissey and I found it a highly entertaining read, from cover to cover. Morrissey’s books usually revolve around the land and her newest novel is no exception to the rule. The land plays a significant role in A Distant Journey. The book is set in rural NSW, based specifically in the Riverina Plains region. It is not an area I am familiar with, but nonetheless, Morrissey’s setting descriptions took me to the heart of this region. I felt the pure isolation, as well as the natural beauty of this region. The property where Cindy and Murray live, Kingsley Downs, is described in picture perfect detail. I could imagine myself setting foot on this sprawling rural home. Morrissey also draws the reader’s attention to the dangers of living in these beautiful areas. Over the decades, the Parnells must tackle natural disasters such as drought, severe bushfire and contend with property finance issues, such as fluctuating wool prices. These sections of the novel offer the reader a compelling journey into true life, at the mercy of the outback.
Cindy, the heroine of A Distant Journey, is the type of character you want to succeed. I really enjoyed her brave journey from an American college student, to an outback wife. It was a hard transition as Morrissey highlights but Cindy makes a success of it. Through Cindy, we learn the triumphs as well as the tragedies that befall Cindy and Murray as a couple living on an isolated rural property. Cindy is also a character with a dogged determination to get to the bottom of the truth. Eventually, after years of digging, Cindy resolves the central mystery of Rose, Murray’s mother’s disappearance. I have to admit I had my inclinations as to Rose’s true fate, which was confirmed near the ending of this novel. Despite the predictability of the novel, my interest in this rural saga was high.
A Distant Journey is another fine novel from Australia’s queen of storytelling, Di Morrissey.
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
A Distant Journey begins in the 1960’s, in the picturesque Palm Springs, California. The reader is first introduced to Babs, a woman with a young child named Joey, who is starting anew after a bad marriage. Soon after Babs settles into her new home in the glamorous Palm Springs, her niece Cindy lands on her doorstop. Cindy becomes the pivotal character in A Distant Journey, as the novels shifts away from Babs and onto Cindy’s important pathway. Cindy is a college student when she engages in a holiday romance with a handsome Australian man, Murray Parnell. This fling comes directly after a heartbreaking split from Cindy’s first love, Robbie. Lust soon becomes true love; leading Murray and Cindy impulsively marry in Vegas. It isn’t long before the happy couple jet off to the other side of the world, to Murray’s home in Australia. Cindy learns upon her arrival in Australia that Murray is the heir to a huge grazing empire. Cindy finds she must adjust immediately to life in rural Australia and negotiate a convoluted relationship with her father- in-law, Lawerence. Cindy is a woman determined to prove her father- in- law wrong and she soon makes a go of her life in her new home of Kingsley Downs. Cindy is also determined to get to the bottom of a family secret held by Lawerence, over the mysterious disappearance of his wife Rose, many years ago. Decades go by and the Parnell’s witness the happy expansion of their family. They also suffer from a number of disasters that threaten Kingsley Downs over the years, before the mystery of Rose is truly solved.
Di Morrissey is an author I always look forward to purchasing her annual release. A Distant Journey is another solid effort by Morrissey and I found it a highly entertaining read, from cover to cover. Morrissey’s books usually revolve around the land and her newest novel is no exception to the rule. The land plays a significant role in A Distant Journey. The book is set in rural NSW, based specifically in the Riverina Plains region. It is not an area I am familiar with, but nonetheless, Morrissey’s setting descriptions took me to the heart of this region. I felt the pure isolation, as well as the natural beauty of this region. The property where Cindy and Murray live, Kingsley Downs, is described in picture perfect detail. I could imagine myself setting foot on this sprawling rural home. Morrissey also draws the reader’s attention to the dangers of living in these beautiful areas. Over the decades, the Parnells must tackle natural disasters such as drought, severe bushfire and contend with property finance issues, such as fluctuating wool prices. These sections of the novel offer the reader a compelling journey into true life, at the mercy of the outback.
Cindy, the heroine of A Distant Journey, is the type of character you want to succeed. I really enjoyed her brave journey from an American college student, to an outback wife. It was a hard transition as Morrissey highlights but Cindy makes a success of it. Through Cindy, we learn the triumphs as well as the tragedies that befall Cindy and Murray as a couple living on an isolated rural property. Cindy is also a character with a dogged determination to get to the bottom of the truth. Eventually, after years of digging, Cindy resolves the central mystery of Rose, Murray’s mother’s disappearance. I have to admit I had my inclinations as to Rose’s true fate, which was confirmed near the ending of this novel. Despite the predictability of the novel, my interest in this rural saga was high.
A Distant Journey is another fine novel from Australia’s queen of storytelling, Di Morrissey.
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
July 11, 2017
If I had to describe Di Morrissey's writing style in this book (and this is my first book by her so it might be the case in general etc...) it would be "paint by numbers". There's something awfully formulaic about it. It must work for her though, she sells tonnes of books and every holiday house seems to have one or more languishing and gathering dust in book shelf corners.
It's also extremely predictable. When you've pegged the twist about of a third of the way in, it ends up being sort of disappointing.
That being said, before this I had just read The Woolgrower’s Companion which is creepily similar on a lot of fronts. Patriarchal figure whom is slowly losing their mind and dabbling in domestic abuse? Check. Said patriarchal figure in utter denial over the financial state of their property and has to be bailed up by their offspring? Check. The absence of a mother figure that is a back ground theme? Check. Young woman completely out of depth with current situation? Check. Lack of emotional support from the husband of said young woman? Check. Anyway. There's a lot of parallels.
It's a nice story. There are a few time jumps that are a bit confusing and make the flow of the story jerky af. It's frustrating to find yourself building a relationship with Bab's at the beginning of the book to find her presence is basically no existent in the last half of the book. Even though the story of Bab's is used as a parallel to the story of Rose, it's not something that becomes clear until the end and by that point you're almost divorced from Bab's story in the beginning to draw the conclusion. A lot of the secondary characters are very two dimensional, basically used as props to move the story along. Cindy is a decent main character even though she also feels a bit light on the characterisation. There's some period typical homophobia and racism but it's only in passing.
I don't know if I would be desperate to recommend this to anyone, except my mum who was living in the riverina during the time period this novel was set, which was sort of the reason I purchased this in the first place. *Shrugs*
It's also extremely predictable. When you've pegged the twist about of a third of the way in, it ends up being sort of disappointing.
That being said, before this I had just read The Woolgrower’s Companion which is creepily similar on a lot of fronts. Patriarchal figure whom is slowly losing their mind and dabbling in domestic abuse? Check. Said patriarchal figure in utter denial over the financial state of their property and has to be bailed up by their offspring? Check. The absence of a mother figure that is a back ground theme? Check. Young woman completely out of depth with current situation? Check. Lack of emotional support from the husband of said young woman? Check. Anyway. There's a lot of parallels.
It's a nice story. There are a few time jumps that are a bit confusing and make the flow of the story jerky af. It's frustrating to find yourself building a relationship with Bab's at the beginning of the book to find her presence is basically no existent in the last half of the book. Even though the story of Bab's is used as a parallel to the story of Rose, it's not something that becomes clear until the end and by that point you're almost divorced from Bab's story in the beginning to draw the conclusion. A lot of the secondary characters are very two dimensional, basically used as props to move the story along. Cindy is a decent main character even though she also feels a bit light on the characterisation. There's some period typical homophobia and racism but it's only in passing.
I don't know if I would be desperate to recommend this to anyone, except my mum who was living in the riverina during the time period this novel was set, which was sort of the reason I purchased this in the first place. *Shrugs*
February 5, 2017
A Distant Journey celebrates 25 years of Storytelling by Di Morrissey.
It’s a tribute to the real Australia we all know and love so well and also dedicated to Nevada, California and Palm Desert.
The novel begins in Palm Desert, California where we are taken to ritzier places like Palm Springs where famous film stars can often be seen gathering around a sparkling blue pool enjoying a party, perhaps with a cocktail in hand and dressed in glittery sequinned fabrics.
During the daytime it’s a different story, locals may be seen in checked shirts enhanced with embroidery and dressed in fancy cowboy boots to match where in the distance, you may even see snow tipped mountains.
Starting with a simple business name such as Heaven to Seven for children’s clothing and turning it into Designer Clothes for some of the rich and famous at various hotel outlets; two sisters embark upon a Dressmaking career which will change their lives forever.
We are taken on A Distant Journey to Kingsley Downs where Cindy, the niece of the two sisters starts a new life in rural outback Australia where we hear the trials and tribulations of living virtually alone at first on a remote, isolated sheep station on the Riverina in New South Wales.
But, who lurks in the background with a dark and mysterious past? A hidden secret.
It reads like the Australian version of Gone With the Wind. I could not stop turning the pages of this new, outstanding novel, A Distant Journey by Di Morrissey.
It really was like I was in the movie playing the part of Cindy.
I was torn apart and blown away.
Every Christmas, I wait until the new Di Morrissey novel comes out with anticipation and hope it’s under my Christmas tree each year and when it is, it’s like I’ve found a piece of gold (or a golden nugget)!
The difference in this novel is that it reads as a mystery thriller but as with all of Di Morrissey’s novels it’s filled with imagination and research.
This novel describes the Wool Crisis which was one of the biggest corporate collapses in Australia when it became crippled after the reserve price scheme crashed and farmers had to shoot thousands of sheep.
A Distant Journey is a celebration of Di Morrissey’s 25 years as the storyteller we all know and love so well.
I hope Di Morrissey never loses her passion of putting down the pen to paper as I look forward to her new and latest novel each year.
I highly recommend, A Distant Journey by Di Morrissey.
A fantastic read.
It’s a tribute to the real Australia we all know and love so well and also dedicated to Nevada, California and Palm Desert.
The novel begins in Palm Desert, California where we are taken to ritzier places like Palm Springs where famous film stars can often be seen gathering around a sparkling blue pool enjoying a party, perhaps with a cocktail in hand and dressed in glittery sequinned fabrics.
During the daytime it’s a different story, locals may be seen in checked shirts enhanced with embroidery and dressed in fancy cowboy boots to match where in the distance, you may even see snow tipped mountains.
Starting with a simple business name such as Heaven to Seven for children’s clothing and turning it into Designer Clothes for some of the rich and famous at various hotel outlets; two sisters embark upon a Dressmaking career which will change their lives forever.
We are taken on A Distant Journey to Kingsley Downs where Cindy, the niece of the two sisters starts a new life in rural outback Australia where we hear the trials and tribulations of living virtually alone at first on a remote, isolated sheep station on the Riverina in New South Wales.
But, who lurks in the background with a dark and mysterious past? A hidden secret.
It reads like the Australian version of Gone With the Wind. I could not stop turning the pages of this new, outstanding novel, A Distant Journey by Di Morrissey.
It really was like I was in the movie playing the part of Cindy.
I was torn apart and blown away.
Every Christmas, I wait until the new Di Morrissey novel comes out with anticipation and hope it’s under my Christmas tree each year and when it is, it’s like I’ve found a piece of gold (or a golden nugget)!
The difference in this novel is that it reads as a mystery thriller but as with all of Di Morrissey’s novels it’s filled with imagination and research.
This novel describes the Wool Crisis which was one of the biggest corporate collapses in Australia when it became crippled after the reserve price scheme crashed and farmers had to shoot thousands of sheep.
A Distant Journey is a celebration of Di Morrissey’s 25 years as the storyteller we all know and love so well.
I hope Di Morrissey never loses her passion of putting down the pen to paper as I look forward to her new and latest novel each year.
I highly recommend, A Distant Journey by Di Morrissey.
A fantastic read.
May 5, 2017
A good yarn.
Pretty spot on observations about rural Australia, the sheep industry and women up-rooting themselves from the familiar to follow their heart and settle in a new environment and then refashion themselves as they forge a new existence.
It touches on domestic violence and changing social attitudes.
While it was a good read, the ending was somewhat predictable, it just took a long long time to get there. From the time Rose's disappearance was mentioned and the family circumstances were revealed the outcome was glaringly obvious. If I was reading a paper book rather than enjoying listening to an audio book I would have been page flipping to find it had all been revealed. And then I imagine I would have just laid the book aside unfinished.
Is it obvious I just got a bit frustrated at wondering when the truth would finally be revealed.
Pretty spot on observations about rural Australia, the sheep industry and women up-rooting themselves from the familiar to follow their heart and settle in a new environment and then refashion themselves as they forge a new existence.
It touches on domestic violence and changing social attitudes.
While it was a good read, the ending was somewhat predictable, it just took a long long time to get there. From the time Rose's disappearance was mentioned and the family circumstances were revealed the outcome was glaringly obvious. If I was reading a paper book rather than enjoying listening to an audio book I would have been page flipping to find it had all been revealed. And then I imagine I would have just laid the book aside unfinished.
Is it obvious I just got a bit frustrated at wondering when the truth would finally be revealed.
September 17, 2017
Not a favourite.
Starts off with the story of Babs, not sure why really.
Then shifts to Cindy who goes on to meet and marry an Australian sheep farmer called Murray.
The story seems to move in decades or more, one minute she is miscarrying a baby, next she has a couple of adult kids. She's very interested in the disappearance of Murray's mother, Rose, many years ago. Her father in law doesn't really take to her, and Murray seems quite weak in standing up to his dominant father.
Can't say it was a very exciting, even with a body, a suicide and a plane crash happening all on the 1 page (just about all in the same short paragraph).
Really a shame, I used to enjoy thus author's books, but last 2 or 3 very disappointing - more like the highly churned out rubbish of some authors who 'write' a new book every few months or so.
Starts off with the story of Babs, not sure why really.
Then shifts to Cindy who goes on to meet and marry an Australian sheep farmer called Murray.
The story seems to move in decades or more, one minute she is miscarrying a baby, next she has a couple of adult kids. She's very interested in the disappearance of Murray's mother, Rose, many years ago. Her father in law doesn't really take to her, and Murray seems quite weak in standing up to his dominant father.
Can't say it was a very exciting, even with a body, a suicide and a plane crash happening all on the 1 page (just about all in the same short paragraph).
Really a shame, I used to enjoy thus author's books, but last 2 or 3 very disappointing - more like the highly churned out rubbish of some authors who 'write' a new book every few months or so.
January 7, 2019
I had been soooo looking forward to this book - my soul country is Australia, but I presently live in Palm Springs......what a perfect 2019 start for my book club. So I thought. Yes, the story is very acurate with the struggles of Australian farming, and rural outback life. However, the story dragged on far too long with the lure of a mystery ..... which really and truly did not happen until the last chapter. It took so long to get there, I actually wasn't sure if the author had remembered her intentions at the beginning.....there were so few pages left. And even more disappointing - all the events of the "big mystery" and after-effects of that - I had already figured out/knew would happen. I'm terribly disappointed, I had been told what an amazing author Do Morrissey is.
December 2, 2016
This is definitely not one of her best books, but I still enjoyed the story. I initially thought the story was about Babs, but the focus then shifted to Cindy. I'm still not sure why Babs featured so heavily in the beginning of this book.
June 30, 2017
The story started with a large introduction of Cindy's family before we got to her, and in fact i was starting to wonder if we were ever going to meet Cindy by the time she was introduced into the story. Cindy drops out of university when she meet an Australian farmer on holiday. She longs to travel and live a life of more colour than her current surrounds of Desert Palms and even more colourful that her home town Spokane.
Off to Australia she moves and has a colourful life, not quite the beautiful sprawling luxurious homestead she was expecting.
At times just when the story was interesting the author would skip a few years or even decades and this often meant it felt like they were in a hurry to finish the story off.
A great light read even if the ending was a little predictable. A great audio book to listen to on the commute to/from work.
Off to Australia she moves and has a colourful life, not quite the beautiful sprawling luxurious homestead she was expecting.
At times just when the story was interesting the author would skip a few years or even decades and this often meant it felt like they were in a hurry to finish the story off.
A great light read even if the ending was a little predictable. A great audio book to listen to on the commute to/from work.
March 15, 2019
This is the first of Di Morrissey’s books I’ve read, and was very disappointed. I was looking forward to reading an Australian-based story, but the plot was not engaging and went down several pointless rabbit holes, hooking the reader and then leaving those plot lines hanging. Some of the plots were hurriedly tied up in the last few chapters.
Some story lines that deserved more time, eg Cindy’s wedding, were over in one paragraph, and others, eg Babs’ story line, was explored in depth for no real purpose.
The style of writing had a lot of ‘telling’ and not a lot of ‘showing’.
While I forced myself to finish the book, I’m not inclined to recommend it to anyone.
Some story lines that deserved more time, eg Cindy’s wedding, were over in one paragraph, and others, eg Babs’ story line, was explored in depth for no real purpose.
The style of writing had a lot of ‘telling’ and not a lot of ‘showing’.
While I forced myself to finish the book, I’m not inclined to recommend it to anyone.
February 23, 2018
A great book that I could completely immerse myself in. It started off slow, but with each chapter I needed to know more.
July 11, 2021
It’s one of those books where not a lot really happens. A lot of waffle that’s not really relevant to the story. Why introduce aunt Babs and her intricate needlework? It adds nothing to the story. Cindy the main character doesn’t show up for the first 80 pages or so. I feel like the author throws in actual tidbits from history here and there and believes that makes a good storyline. The characters are all one dimensional, the dialogue lame for the most part. The only reason I gave it three instead of 2 stars is that I like historical fiction and that it was set in Australia. Not convinced that I will be reading another of her books.
November 8, 2017
Yes.agree with other comments a bit boring at times...guessed the end not far into the book. Also agree that a lot of attention is paid to Babs and Alice in the beginning and then went nowhere with them.
But still, Di Morrissey has enormous talent judging from most of her books that I have read and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book. I really have no right to be critical of one of our Aussie legends.
But still, Di Morrissey has enormous talent judging from most of her books that I have read and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book. I really have no right to be critical of one of our Aussie legends.
May 28, 2017
it was ok. an inkling back at some of her first books she wrote and definately better than some of her last books.
I too enjoyed babs and joeys story and thought she would have featured more throughout the book. don't understand why roses family wouldnt have looked a little harder for her.
found the jumps in time happened without notice so felt like some bits were missing
I too enjoyed babs and joeys story and thought she would have featured more throughout the book. don't understand why roses family wouldnt have looked a little harder for her.
found the jumps in time happened without notice so felt like some bits were missing
January 11, 2017
My first Di Morrissey - it was heaven ! I love Australia (being half Australian) and inspired me to read more from her collection. It was so well written I feel like I've seen the movie. Highly recommend.
February 1, 2019
Interesting context; life as a grazier's wife.
But knew what had happened to Rose ridiculously early on. Also no idea why the novel started with Barbara considering the book is about Cindy and Barbara was hardly mentioned again.
But knew what had happened to Rose ridiculously early on. Also no idea why the novel started with Barbara considering the book is about Cindy and Barbara was hardly mentioned again.
April 23, 2017
Was given this book as a Christmas present- not my cup of tea, the twist was telegraphed a mile out, and I ended up skim reading most of it.
November 17, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. A little slow at the start but picked up quickly once the story came to Australia.
April 15, 2019
A forgettable read. Read it because a neighbour gave it to me. Won't be reading that author again.
May 6, 2021
A reread in a time when I needed to escape! Still a good story.
May 2, 2024
Badly edited, jumps decade's,
June 11, 2022
1962 Palm Springs. Twenty year old Cindy meets a wealthy, handsome Australian, sheep farmer and, on a whim, drops out of college to return to Australia to marry him. The harsh and rugged life there is very different to the life she imagined. On the whole she’s welcomed by the community but she encounters a puzzling hostility from her father-in-law. Soon, she discovers there are family secrets that neither father nor son are prepared to talk about.
As a writer myself, I often find myself analysing other writer’s techniques as I read, wondering why certain characters are the way they are, why the author added that certain plot point, etc. In this book I wondered about the construction of this novel. It is essentially Cindy’s story and yet she doesn’t appear until the book is well underway. The beginning chapters focus on her aunts, Alice and, more prominently, Babs, and how they made Palm Springs their home. I wondered why the author gave them so much prominence. I also didn’t really understand the connection between the story and the prologue. If it was explained or inferred, I missed it.
The other thing the author does is to leap years from one chapter to the next. In one part her children are all young, the next chapter they’re adults getting married. Sometimes I wasn’t ready to take such a big jump forwards.
Overall, this book had the feel of a biography with a bit of mystery thrown in. I guessed the solution to the mystery early in the story. I think the author’s strengths lie in capturing the essence of the Australian outback with such vivid descriptions. You can really visualise what it must be like to experience bushfire or a willy willy (mini tornado).
Despite these criticisms I enjoyed the story. Cindy was a stoic, hard-working character who didn’t dissolve into histrionics every time something went wrong. I never have much time for those characters. Murray possibly wasn’t quite as strong a character as I would liked but I loved chic, always well-groomed Aunt Alice, who is never seen without perfect makeup and yet certainly doesn’t stand back when she wants something.
As a writer myself, I often find myself analysing other writer’s techniques as I read, wondering why certain characters are the way they are, why the author added that certain plot point, etc. In this book I wondered about the construction of this novel. It is essentially Cindy’s story and yet she doesn’t appear until the book is well underway. The beginning chapters focus on her aunts, Alice and, more prominently, Babs, and how they made Palm Springs their home. I wondered why the author gave them so much prominence. I also didn’t really understand the connection between the story and the prologue. If it was explained or inferred, I missed it.
The other thing the author does is to leap years from one chapter to the next. In one part her children are all young, the next chapter they’re adults getting married. Sometimes I wasn’t ready to take such a big jump forwards.
Overall, this book had the feel of a biography with a bit of mystery thrown in. I guessed the solution to the mystery early in the story. I think the author’s strengths lie in capturing the essence of the Australian outback with such vivid descriptions. You can really visualise what it must be like to experience bushfire or a willy willy (mini tornado).
Despite these criticisms I enjoyed the story. Cindy was a stoic, hard-working character who didn’t dissolve into histrionics every time something went wrong. I never have much time for those characters. Murray possibly wasn’t quite as strong a character as I would liked but I loved chic, always well-groomed Aunt Alice, who is never seen without perfect makeup and yet certainly doesn’t stand back when she wants something.
July 12, 2021
📖 A distant journey | Di Morrissey 4/5 ⭐️
>this one was recommended to me by my Nan and I’ve got to say.. I was taken by surprise how much I enjoyed it. The story starts off by introducing Babs’ story.. however it’s not until the end that we connect Babs' story with that of the missing Rose's and understand why the link of the two is made. It becomes somewhat obvious about a third the way through that the disappearance of Rose is the elephant in the book so to speak. But when it’s revealed it all makes sense. The main character is in fact the forever loyal but impulsive Cindy, who on a whim ditches college to marry Murray and moves from California to NSW to start what she believes will be a new and exciting life on a sheep station. But she is in for a rude shock as she comes to know the hardships and realises just how isolated they are and regret starts to creep in as she begins to doubt her rash decision. Her love for Murray is her saviour and through natural disasters, loss, family conflict and the shocking truth of a mystery murder/suicide uncovered, we see Cindy find her sense of belonging as she battles to find her own place on the farm. Whilst it was somewhat predictable at times, I loved the references to places I’d been and the story was still flowing and intriguing. Cindy is a fierce reminder to love hard and stand by your beliefs no matter what life throws your way.
>this one was recommended to me by my Nan and I’ve got to say.. I was taken by surprise how much I enjoyed it. The story starts off by introducing Babs’ story.. however it’s not until the end that we connect Babs' story with that of the missing Rose's and understand why the link of the two is made. It becomes somewhat obvious about a third the way through that the disappearance of Rose is the elephant in the book so to speak. But when it’s revealed it all makes sense. The main character is in fact the forever loyal but impulsive Cindy, who on a whim ditches college to marry Murray and moves from California to NSW to start what she believes will be a new and exciting life on a sheep station. But she is in for a rude shock as she comes to know the hardships and realises just how isolated they are and regret starts to creep in as she begins to doubt her rash decision. Her love for Murray is her saviour and through natural disasters, loss, family conflict and the shocking truth of a mystery murder/suicide uncovered, we see Cindy find her sense of belonging as she battles to find her own place on the farm. Whilst it was somewhat predictable at times, I loved the references to places I’d been and the story was still flowing and intriguing. Cindy is a fierce reminder to love hard and stand by your beliefs no matter what life throws your way.
November 22, 2023
Bookclub read. Very enjoyable, hsve only read one other book from this author, but will look for more.
Begins in the 50s, Palm Springs USA. Morrisey sets the scene, family saga but surprisingly she follows a lesser character's elopement to an older man who wisks her away to become the 'Lady of the Mansion' in outback, rural Victoria.
Cindy is met with a rundown old farmhouse, woodfire stove, snakes, boars, a curmudgeonly Father in law and many other difficulties in the Aussie outback of the era.
The story includes all the usual ups and downs of life.
My only complaint was occasionally 'episodes' were tied up neatly so the story could progress as though the author had had enough of this but and wanted to jump to something more interesting.
Even so, enjoyable read, kept me interested, towards the end I did guess the probable outcome.
Will read more of her books.
Begins in the 50s, Palm Springs USA. Morrisey sets the scene, family saga but surprisingly she follows a lesser character's elopement to an older man who wisks her away to become the 'Lady of the Mansion' in outback, rural Victoria.
Cindy is met with a rundown old farmhouse, woodfire stove, snakes, boars, a curmudgeonly Father in law and many other difficulties in the Aussie outback of the era.
The story includes all the usual ups and downs of life.
My only complaint was occasionally 'episodes' were tied up neatly so the story could progress as though the author had had enough of this but and wanted to jump to something more interesting.
Even so, enjoyable read, kept me interested, towards the end I did guess the probable outcome.
Will read more of her books.
December 22, 2017
I liked it but found it a little light weight compared to others of hers that I have read. A grand picture of the Wool Industry in Australia when wool was king from the perspective of a family who ran one of the larger stations. A family of a few generations rearing sheep. Lawrence the stern unyielding father who believed he always knew best. A son working to secure his family's future but given no say. Cindy openly disliked by her father-in-law. A secret she was determined to uncover and hopefully heal her husbands wounded heart.
March 3, 2018
4 star read. Cindy drops out of college and runs away to Palm Springs to live with her Aunt Babs. There she meets Australian Murray Parnell, marries him quickly and goes to live on his father's sheep station in the Riverine area of Australia. Murray's father is cold and rude to her, but her love of Murray is strong. Over the years of drought, raising a family and building the sheep station, their marriage grows stronger. But his father's secretive and arrogant ways could bring disaster to them all. . A very good read.
January 19, 2021
The story I found entertaining in the beginning as I related a lot to the American protagonist who marries and Australian farmer and all the adjustments that come with that.
In the middle I appreciated getting to learn Australian history of the Wool Corporation and enjoyed pausing to discuss it with my husband.
I suppose it didn’t need to have the extra angle of the missing mother as the story was fine on its own without it.
Overall I enjoyed it and since there are more of this author on my MIL’s bookshelves, I’ll likely read another.
In the middle I appreciated getting to learn Australian history of the Wool Corporation and enjoyed pausing to discuss it with my husband.
I suppose it didn’t need to have the extra angle of the missing mother as the story was fine on its own without it.
Overall I enjoyed it and since there are more of this author on my MIL’s bookshelves, I’ll likely read another.
December 14, 2022
Not one of the author's better books, it was kind of disappointing. I don't know why the first part was all about Babs, it didn't seem to connect to the main character Cindy when she eventually made an appearance in the story. It just seemed more like a filler. The story seemed to jump through time at various stages making it a bit uncomfortable to read, there was no nice flow through the ages. The plot was predictable and I didn't take to any of the characters. Wouldn't recommend this book, there are better books to read by Morrissey out there.
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