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Aussie Outback Medical #7
Heart of the Sky
From the internationally bestselling author of The Homestead Girls and Red Sand Sunrise comes this heartfelt story of friendship, forgiveness and love.
A year after a tragic accident changed her life forever, Tess Daley is in desperate need of a change. When she is offered a position with the Flying Doctor Service, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yet once she arrives in remote Mica Ridge she feels like an outsider, unable to connect with her patients and unsure if she'll ever fit in with this outback community.
Station owner Soretta Byrnes has grown to love the company and chaos that comes with living in a house filled with boarders. So with tenants moving out and bills piling up, it's a welcome relief to have Tess and new pilot Charlie Fennes arriving in town and looking for somewhere to stay.
As they share life's triumphs and challenges, it isn't long before everyone at the station feels like family. But Charlie has yet to reveal his motive for coming to Mica Ridge and his secret will change the life of someone in the house forever ...
A year after a tragic accident changed her life forever, Tess Daley is in desperate need of a change. When she is offered a position with the Flying Doctor Service, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yet once she arrives in remote Mica Ridge she feels like an outsider, unable to connect with her patients and unsure if she'll ever fit in with this outback community.
Station owner Soretta Byrnes has grown to love the company and chaos that comes with living in a house filled with boarders. So with tenants moving out and bills piling up, it's a welcome relief to have Tess and new pilot Charlie Fennes arriving in town and looking for somewhere to stay.
As they share life's triumphs and challenges, it isn't long before everyone at the station feels like family. But Charlie has yet to reveal his motive for coming to Mica Ridge and his secret will change the life of someone in the house forever ...
288 pages, Paperback
Published January 30, 2017
40 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McArthur
279 books200 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 11, 2017
Tess Daley knew she needed to get away from Coffs Harbour, the town on NSW’s east coast where she had known such happiness. Now as the twelve month anniversary of her husband Victor’s death approached, she couldn’t bear the thought of being in the place they had both loved so much. So when she saw the opportunity of the position of Breast Care Nurse with the Flying Doctor Service in the remote NSW outback town of Mica Ridge, she jumped at the chance.
Soretta Byrnes owned the beautiful homestead Blue Hills which was situated just outside Mica Ridge. When Tess was offered a room at the place Soretta had turned into a boarding house, only one look was needed to make Tess realise Blue Hills could be home. The women who already lived there, from elderly Lorna down to teenage Mia, made it a friendly and welcoming place; the vast openness; the peace and tranquillity – all a balm to the soul. Then the new pilot for the FDS arrived; Charlie Fennes joined the women at Blue Hills making him and Lachlan, Soretta’s grandfather, the only men on the property.
As Tess settled in to her position on the base, she met the outback women who had adversity thrown at them. She felt passionate about her role and was keen to make a difference to these women’s lives – also the lives of their families. Tess’ connection wasn’t immediate but gradually these outback women let her in. But there was tension at Blue Hills – someone had secrets they weren’t sharing. What was happening? What would happen?
Heart of the Sky by Aussie author Fiona McArthur is another intriguing rural novel set around the Royal Flying Doctor Service in remote outback NSW, a few hours from Broken Hill. Meeting up with the characters from The Homestead Girls again was great – the introduction of a couple of new characters enhanced the story. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s writing and will be watching for her next book. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy to read and review.
Soretta Byrnes owned the beautiful homestead Blue Hills which was situated just outside Mica Ridge. When Tess was offered a room at the place Soretta had turned into a boarding house, only one look was needed to make Tess realise Blue Hills could be home. The women who already lived there, from elderly Lorna down to teenage Mia, made it a friendly and welcoming place; the vast openness; the peace and tranquillity – all a balm to the soul. Then the new pilot for the FDS arrived; Charlie Fennes joined the women at Blue Hills making him and Lachlan, Soretta’s grandfather, the only men on the property.
As Tess settled in to her position on the base, she met the outback women who had adversity thrown at them. She felt passionate about her role and was keen to make a difference to these women’s lives – also the lives of their families. Tess’ connection wasn’t immediate but gradually these outback women let her in. But there was tension at Blue Hills – someone had secrets they weren’t sharing. What was happening? What would happen?
Heart of the Sky by Aussie author Fiona McArthur is another intriguing rural novel set around the Royal Flying Doctor Service in remote outback NSW, a few hours from Broken Hill. Meeting up with the characters from The Homestead Girls again was great – the introduction of a couple of new characters enhanced the story. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s writing and will be watching for her next book. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy to read and review.
January 24, 2023
Picking up one of Fiona McArthur’s stories is like being with family they are like a warm hug filled with emotion and every feeling that comes with living life, this time we get to catch up with some friends from The Homestead Girls and meet newcomer Tess Daley as she takes on the position of breast care nurse at the Flying Doctor Service in Mica Ridge.
Tess has just had her life turned upside down with the loss of her husband and living in the coastal town of Coffs Harbour is not what is used to be and Tess needs a change, a fresh start and the opportunity to help woman in the outback with her role with the FDS. Here she meets patients and makes new friends when she moves into Blue Hills.
Soretta Byrnes lives on Blue Hills with her grandfather the property is special to them both and they have been through some tough times in the past and honesty is a big thing with Soretta. With her borders, Lorna, Daphne, Billie and Mia living there to help financially, life has been good. Daphne has moved out and Tess has moved in now and then Charlie Fennes arrives, to take on a three month stint as a pilot with the FDS, but can Soretta trust him, he may be a good looking pilot, but she feels he is not telling the truth from the start.
It is not long before Tess is feeling a big part of this family living on Blue Hills and loving her new job, she sees how much it is helping the patients and her confidence grows as she sees a future here in Mica Ridge, there is a lot going on and soon they know why Charlie is there, will it cause trouble as secrets are uncovered or build new friendships and dare I say love.
A beautifully told story with wonderful characters, some that I loved catching up with and some new friends to add, there are some very emotional moments in this book, I loved the setting the FDS is such a great organisation and breast care nurses are the best, I would highly recommend this story, I loved it. I know it has been on my TBR pile for a long time and I am so glad I read it.
Tess has just had her life turned upside down with the loss of her husband and living in the coastal town of Coffs Harbour is not what is used to be and Tess needs a change, a fresh start and the opportunity to help woman in the outback with her role with the FDS. Here she meets patients and makes new friends when she moves into Blue Hills.
Soretta Byrnes lives on Blue Hills with her grandfather the property is special to them both and they have been through some tough times in the past and honesty is a big thing with Soretta. With her borders, Lorna, Daphne, Billie and Mia living there to help financially, life has been good. Daphne has moved out and Tess has moved in now and then Charlie Fennes arrives, to take on a three month stint as a pilot with the FDS, but can Soretta trust him, he may be a good looking pilot, but she feels he is not telling the truth from the start.
It is not long before Tess is feeling a big part of this family living on Blue Hills and loving her new job, she sees how much it is helping the patients and her confidence grows as she sees a future here in Mica Ridge, there is a lot going on and soon they know why Charlie is there, will it cause trouble as secrets are uncovered or build new friendships and dare I say love.
A beautifully told story with wonderful characters, some that I loved catching up with and some new friends to add, there are some very emotional moments in this book, I loved the setting the FDS is such a great organisation and breast care nurses are the best, I would highly recommend this story, I loved it. I know it has been on my TBR pile for a long time and I am so glad I read it.
June 23, 2017
Heart of the Sky is the story of the men and women of Mica Ridge Flying Doctor Service and Blue Hills a beautiful rural property short distance out of town. Tess Daley and Charlie Fennes both had agenda for joining up at the Mica Ridge Flying Doctor Serice, and the readers of Heart of the Sky will follow Tess and Charlie's journey.
I love reading Heart of the Sky and the way Fiona McArthur intertwine four main plots throughout the book. Fiona McArthur portrays her characters in a way that the readers would find believable. For me reading Heart of the Sky allow me to see what happened to the characters of The Homestead Girls.
Readers of Heart of the Sky will learn about the procedures that Pilots of the Royal Flying Doctors Service have to follow. Also, Heart of the Sky is a great book for highlighting the importance of the Royal Flying Doctors Services for the small rural communities. By reading Heart of the Sky, I learn about the role and the importance of providing Breast Cancer Nurses for rural communities.
I recommend this book.
I love reading Heart of the Sky and the way Fiona McArthur intertwine four main plots throughout the book. Fiona McArthur portrays her characters in a way that the readers would find believable. For me reading Heart of the Sky allow me to see what happened to the characters of The Homestead Girls.
Readers of Heart of the Sky will learn about the procedures that Pilots of the Royal Flying Doctors Service have to follow. Also, Heart of the Sky is a great book for highlighting the importance of the Royal Flying Doctors Services for the small rural communities. By reading Heart of the Sky, I learn about the role and the importance of providing Breast Cancer Nurses for rural communities.
I recommend this book.
February 14, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
February 26, 2017
Okay fiction that is built heavily on new projects underway in Australia to support outback women and their families in the throes of dealing with breast cancer. The importance of agencies like the Jane McGrath Foundation and the Flying Doctor Service are lifelines to the many who face this disease.
March 7, 2024
wonderful
These books always give us a good story with an emotional medical adventure, good people you would love to know, a little fun, and lots of laughs. That’s why I keep reading them! Off to book 8 of 12 Now!
These books always give us a good story with an emotional medical adventure, good people you would love to know, a little fun, and lots of laughs. That’s why I keep reading them! Off to book 8 of 12 Now!
March 6, 2025
Excellent
October 14, 2017
Beautiful story I couldn't put the book down.
Seen the advertisement in another magazine and taught it would be a good reader. I would recommend this book to fr I ends.
Seen the advertisement in another magazine and taught it would be a good reader. I would recommend this book to fr I ends.
May 17, 2017
I enjoyed the book and could relate to bringing change into your life as a way of healing from bad times. Also a change of people in your life can help rejuvenate.
February 7, 2017
I didn't realise until I'd started reading that Heart of the Sky was a companion to The Homestead Girls. It was great to get more about the main characters from that but at the same time get more depth on the other minor characters. Also was introduced to a new character and the background of her story.
I can see that the author may come back yet again to Mica Ridge for more and I would enjoy that too.
Great mix of RFDS action, outback life & romance to keep me engaged.
I can see that the author may come back yet again to Mica Ridge for more and I would enjoy that too.
Great mix of RFDS action, outback life & romance to keep me engaged.
January 12, 2019
Brilliantly written story weaving a breast care nurse, flying doctors and pilots and remote farmers in an outback setting.
There are romances, family reunions and dramas as well. The setting makes this story as it is so well described, so is the idea of a small community all relying on each other.
There are romances, family reunions and dramas as well. The setting makes this story as it is so well described, so is the idea of a small community all relying on each other.
February 21, 2018
I found this book to be a little slow. I enjoyed the story of life on the land, but it was just slow going. I kept expecting something major to happen, and when something did happen, it was kind of anti-climactic. I like to support our Aussie authors, but this book was a bit of a let down.
December 28, 2020
2.5 stars. This had the potential to be a easy light-hearted story but it got bogged down in places with information regarding breast cancer. I also felt the narratives (in third person) from the different characters was confusing.
September 3, 2022
Another good read. This book returned us to Blue hills .A new pilot is introduced and a new breast care nurse to the characters we met in The Homestead girls, A good outback story while being informative re the work of a breast care nurse.
October 15, 2022
A good read, always enjoy anything about the flying doctors . This is the first book by Fiona McArthur I have read and I liked her style of writing . No disadvantage to not having read any previous books . Anyone who enjoys a light story with a hint of romance will enjoy this book
April 18, 2024
Awesome Series!
I’m totally hooked on this author and her awesome series!!! The stories are more interesting than the norm. I’ve spent some late nights to finish one of her books because I needed to find out how it ended!
I’m totally hooked on this author and her awesome series!!! The stories are more interesting than the norm. I’ve spent some late nights to finish one of her books because I needed to find out how it ended!
April 20, 2025
I wanted to like this book but felt it was so heavy on the medical talk that it was like reading a breast cancer brochure rather than a fictional romance novel. I've normally enjoyed this author in the past so it won't deter me from her other books, I just did not find this one worth my time.
April 26, 2018
To be honest, I found it to be dull and boring. Nearly put it down unfinished but due to a lack of magazines to read, found myself picking it up and reading it bit by bit.
February 25, 2022
Great story.
November 27, 2025
fabulous read
February 5, 2017
Fiona McArthur’s novels are always a heart-warming read for me, as I know that there will be tears, sadness but ultimately a joyful ending. Heart of the Sky is no exception to this, and it also has the added bonus of reuniting the reader with the women of The Homestead Girls. There are also what I’d consider to be two main characters in the novel, but they’re not the hero and heroine. It’s the story of two women, one familiar to the reader and one not, who find joy in unexpected places.
The first person we meet in Heart of the Sky is Tess. She’s an oncology nurse, looking for a new outlet after the tragic death of her husband. From a calendar image, she gets the idea of moving to outback Australia to assist cancer sufferers there. This starts a new journey as Tess becomes an outreach breast cancer nurse in the red dirt country of Mica Ridge. She’s based at the Flying Doctor Service so she can fly out to women on stations to offer support and nursing assistance. Of course, this means that we get to reunite with the other characters from FDS, such as Billie, Daphne and Mia. It’s not long before Tess is living at Blue Hills with Soretta and her grandfather making them welcome. The other new boarder is Charlie, relief FDS pilot, who has a secret up his sleeve. It’s not long before he and Soretta become firm friends, but when his secret is revealed, it deeply affects people she’s come to love. Can Tess and Soretta find their way to happiness?
I enjoy books with an oncology thread to them (I know, it’s a bit odd) because I get to experience the human contact side of it all. I can honestly say that this is the only place I’ve read or heard about knitted knockers (aka knitted prostheses to be used after a mastectomy). Tess’s determination to provide the best care possible regardless of distance is inspirational and even the little touches like tea in her office show how thoughtful and caring she is. There are tips from her practice that others could use in real life to make these women (and men, breast cancer is not exclusively female) to feel more comfortable.
It was also great to get to know what makes Soretta tick. She was determined and even a little bit fiery in The Homestead Girls. She is a bit more comfortable financially in this book, so she let her guard down to Charlie. I enjoyed reading about her mixed feelings and loyalty to her friends and family. The latter part of the book where both her feelings and her wits were tested was great to read. There was a sense of urgency in terms of plot, but Soretta was very level headed in emotional and practical terms. This made me warm to her even more as a character. Like Tess, she wants the best for those she cares about.
Overall, Heart of the Sky is a lovely story, full of characters you will love instantly and with enough drama to keep reading through the night. That’s why I never miss one of Fiona McArthur’s books!
Thank you to Penguin Australia for the copy of the book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The first person we meet in Heart of the Sky is Tess. She’s an oncology nurse, looking for a new outlet after the tragic death of her husband. From a calendar image, she gets the idea of moving to outback Australia to assist cancer sufferers there. This starts a new journey as Tess becomes an outreach breast cancer nurse in the red dirt country of Mica Ridge. She’s based at the Flying Doctor Service so she can fly out to women on stations to offer support and nursing assistance. Of course, this means that we get to reunite with the other characters from FDS, such as Billie, Daphne and Mia. It’s not long before Tess is living at Blue Hills with Soretta and her grandfather making them welcome. The other new boarder is Charlie, relief FDS pilot, who has a secret up his sleeve. It’s not long before he and Soretta become firm friends, but when his secret is revealed, it deeply affects people she’s come to love. Can Tess and Soretta find their way to happiness?
I enjoy books with an oncology thread to them (I know, it’s a bit odd) because I get to experience the human contact side of it all. I can honestly say that this is the only place I’ve read or heard about knitted knockers (aka knitted prostheses to be used after a mastectomy). Tess’s determination to provide the best care possible regardless of distance is inspirational and even the little touches like tea in her office show how thoughtful and caring she is. There are tips from her practice that others could use in real life to make these women (and men, breast cancer is not exclusively female) to feel more comfortable.
It was also great to get to know what makes Soretta tick. She was determined and even a little bit fiery in The Homestead Girls. She is a bit more comfortable financially in this book, so she let her guard down to Charlie. I enjoyed reading about her mixed feelings and loyalty to her friends and family. The latter part of the book where both her feelings and her wits were tested was great to read. There was a sense of urgency in terms of plot, but Soretta was very level headed in emotional and practical terms. This made me warm to her even more as a character. Like Tess, she wants the best for those she cares about.
Overall, Heart of the Sky is a lovely story, full of characters you will love instantly and with enough drama to keep reading through the night. That’s why I never miss one of Fiona McArthur’s books!
Thank you to Penguin Australia for the copy of the book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews