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Woolgrowers Companion #2
The Burnt Country
A scandalous secret. A deadly bushfire. An agonizing choice.
Australia 1948. As a young woman single-handedly running Amiens, a sizeable sheep station in New South Wales, Kate Dowd is expected to fail. In fact the local graziers are doing their best to ensure she does.
However Kate cannot risk losing Amiens, or give in to her estranged husband Jack's demands to sell. Because the farm is the only protection she can offer her half-sister Pearl, as the Aborigines Welfare Board calls for her forced adoption.
Ostracised by the local community for even acknowledging Pearl, Kate cannot risk another scandal. Which means turning her back on her wartime lover, Luca Canali . . .
Then Jack drops a bombshell. He wants a divorce. He'll protect what's left of Kate's reputation, and keep Luca out of it - but at an extortionate price.
Soon Kate is putting out fires on all fronts to save her farm, keep her family together and protect the man she loves. Until a catastrophic real fire threatens everything . . .
Australia 1948. As a young woman single-handedly running Amiens, a sizeable sheep station in New South Wales, Kate Dowd is expected to fail. In fact the local graziers are doing their best to ensure she does.
However Kate cannot risk losing Amiens, or give in to her estranged husband Jack's demands to sell. Because the farm is the only protection she can offer her half-sister Pearl, as the Aborigines Welfare Board calls for her forced adoption.
Ostracised by the local community for even acknowledging Pearl, Kate cannot risk another scandal. Which means turning her back on her wartime lover, Luca Canali . . .
Then Jack drops a bombshell. He wants a divorce. He'll protect what's left of Kate's reputation, and keep Luca out of it - but at an extortionate price.
Soon Kate is putting out fires on all fronts to save her farm, keep her family together and protect the man she loves. Until a catastrophic real fire threatens everything . . .
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2019
28 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Joy Rhoades
3 books50 followersI grew up in a small town in the bush in Queensland, Australia. I spent my time with my head in a book, or outdoors – climbing trees, playing in dry creek beds, or fishing for yabbies in the railway dam under the big sky. Some of my favourite memories were visiting my grandmother’s sheep farm in rural New South Wales where my father had grown up. She was a fifth generation grazier, a lover of history, and a great and gentle teller of stories. My childhood gave me two passions: a love of the Australian landscape and a fascination with words and stories.
I left the bush at 13 when I went to boarding school in Brisbane. I stayed on there to study law and literature at the University of Queensland. After, my work as a lawyer took me first to Sydney and then all over the world, to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and New York. But I always carried in my head a strong sense of my childhood: the people, the history, the light and the landscape. Those images have never left me and they would eventually become The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a story I’ve felt I had to tell.
I currently live in London with my husband and our two young children. But I miss the Australian sky.
I left the bush at 13 when I went to boarding school in Brisbane. I stayed on there to study law and literature at the University of Queensland. After, my work as a lawyer took me first to Sydney and then all over the world, to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and New York. But I always carried in my head a strong sense of my childhood: the people, the history, the light and the landscape. Those images have never left me and they would eventually become The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a story I’ve felt I had to tell.
I currently live in London with my husband and our two young children. But I miss the Australian sky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 2, 2019
Set in 1948 rural NSW, the prejudices of the local farmers and graziers against a young Kate Dowd, running her sheep station, Amiens after her father had died three years earlier was cruel, heartless but typical of the time. A housekeeper; a young Aboriginal girl helping in the house; young Harry and Pearl; plus a few stockmen – they and Kate continued to run Amiens well. But the locals couldn’t abide her success – from the bank manager, to the haberdashery owner and her next door neighbour, Mr Fletcher – Kate was fighting the battle daily.
Her husband Jack and Kate were estranged. But Jack wasn’t letting her go without a fight; his bitter, vindictive nature frightened Kate, but she knew she couldn’t – shouldn’t – give in to his orders. The day the bushfire took hold, heading for her property and that of her neighbour, was the start of a terrible time for Kate and Amiens. With Luca in danger from a determined Jack, and Kate finding who her friends really were, it seemed that the result wouldn’t be good for anyone. Was Kate strong enough to withstand the assault of the townsfolk? Could she possibly keep all she held dear without repercussions?
The Burnt Country is my first by Aussie author Joy Rhoades and I thoroughly enjoyed it. An intense and emotional look at Australia in the mid-1900s; at the way the women of our country were treated and also how the Aboriginals were shunned. Shameful, shocking and eye-opening. The sign of an excellent author was my urge to shake sense (and more!) into some of the arrogant and self-centred men that showed their faces in The Burnt Country. A highly readable novel which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Her husband Jack and Kate were estranged. But Jack wasn’t letting her go without a fight; his bitter, vindictive nature frightened Kate, but she knew she couldn’t – shouldn’t – give in to his orders. The day the bushfire took hold, heading for her property and that of her neighbour, was the start of a terrible time for Kate and Amiens. With Luca in danger from a determined Jack, and Kate finding who her friends really were, it seemed that the result wouldn’t be good for anyone. Was Kate strong enough to withstand the assault of the townsfolk? Could she possibly keep all she held dear without repercussions?
The Burnt Country is my first by Aussie author Joy Rhoades and I thoroughly enjoyed it. An intense and emotional look at Australia in the mid-1900s; at the way the women of our country were treated and also how the Aboriginals were shunned. Shameful, shocking and eye-opening. The sign of an excellent author was my urge to shake sense (and more!) into some of the arrogant and self-centred men that showed their faces in The Burnt Country. A highly readable novel which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2019
“Kate was sure she didn’t need a solicitor. Doctors were for the dying, and solicitors for the guilty, her father always said. The locals would assume the worst.”
The Burnt Country is the second novel by best-selling Australian author, Joy Rhoades. If three years of good rain and productivity at Amiens have been a reprieve from Kate Dowd’s biggest concerns, that all seems to be coming to an abrupt end in November, 1948. Her estranged husband, Jack has returned from the islands intent on a divorce, to which Kate is agreeable, but the price he is asking in return for not smearing her reputation is an amount that is beyond her wherewithal to raise. And sell Amiens? She could never do that.
The Aborigines Welfare Board, an inflexible bureaucracy which Kate considers is more intent on following regulations than actually caring for its charges, has issued her an ultimatum: by the end of the month, she either hands over her almost-three-year-old half-sister Pearl to be adopted by a white family, or the child’s aboriginal mother, Daisy will be moved from her position at Amiens to another employer.
Despite the fact that Harry Grimes, now thirteen, has been happily living and learning at Amiens, his recently-returned great-uncle (and Amiens ex-manager) Keith Grimes is insisting a very reluctant Harry come to live with him. Also back on the scene, Luca Canali, the man Kate is trying hard to convince herself was merely a wartime indiscretion and not the man she loves.
On top of all this, a horror bushfire season is predicted, and Kate’s carefully managed back-burns have met with disapproval from local graziers, the most vociferous of these being her close neighbour, John Fleming. “Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
Once again, Rhoades captures the mood and feel of the mid-forties farming community with consummate ease. In the era she describes there were few rights for women, children, migrants and aboriginal people, and often even fewer to advocate for them. Sexism was de rigeur, sexual harassment not unusual and there was a common mindset that mixed blood aboriginal children could only be properly raised by white folk. Divorce carried a stigma, as did the misdemeanours of one’s elders.
Rhoades’s extensive research is apparent in every chapter; the dialogue is authentic and her characters are multi-faceted, harbouring secrets and displaying entirely human reactions to the dilemmas they face. Kate makes errors of judgement that add to her woes. But, when it matters most, there is support for Kate, some of it from surprising quarters. The irrepressible Harry Grimes, with his non-stop commentary, cheeky banter and unquenchable curiosity, is an utter delight.
Each chapter is prefaced by a quote (often relevant) from Kate’s essential reference book, The Woolgrower’s Companion (which never once concedes that the eponymous woolgrower might be a woman). This wonderful story is enclosed in a gorgeous cover and complemented with seven classic recipes and a list of thought-provoking Book Club Questions.
This sequel to The Woolgrower’s Companion easily stands alone but readers intending to read TWC should do so first (and why deny oneself that pleasure?) as the recap necessarily contains many spoilers. A brilliant, heart-warming novel that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Penguin Random House Australia and the author.
The Burnt Country is the second novel by best-selling Australian author, Joy Rhoades. If three years of good rain and productivity at Amiens have been a reprieve from Kate Dowd’s biggest concerns, that all seems to be coming to an abrupt end in November, 1948. Her estranged husband, Jack has returned from the islands intent on a divorce, to which Kate is agreeable, but the price he is asking in return for not smearing her reputation is an amount that is beyond her wherewithal to raise. And sell Amiens? She could never do that.
The Aborigines Welfare Board, an inflexible bureaucracy which Kate considers is more intent on following regulations than actually caring for its charges, has issued her an ultimatum: by the end of the month, she either hands over her almost-three-year-old half-sister Pearl to be adopted by a white family, or the child’s aboriginal mother, Daisy will be moved from her position at Amiens to another employer.
Despite the fact that Harry Grimes, now thirteen, has been happily living and learning at Amiens, his recently-returned great-uncle (and Amiens ex-manager) Keith Grimes is insisting a very reluctant Harry come to live with him. Also back on the scene, Luca Canali, the man Kate is trying hard to convince herself was merely a wartime indiscretion and not the man she loves.
On top of all this, a horror bushfire season is predicted, and Kate’s carefully managed back-burns have met with disapproval from local graziers, the most vociferous of these being her close neighbour, John Fleming. “Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
Once again, Rhoades captures the mood and feel of the mid-forties farming community with consummate ease. In the era she describes there were few rights for women, children, migrants and aboriginal people, and often even fewer to advocate for them. Sexism was de rigeur, sexual harassment not unusual and there was a common mindset that mixed blood aboriginal children could only be properly raised by white folk. Divorce carried a stigma, as did the misdemeanours of one’s elders.
Rhoades’s extensive research is apparent in every chapter; the dialogue is authentic and her characters are multi-faceted, harbouring secrets and displaying entirely human reactions to the dilemmas they face. Kate makes errors of judgement that add to her woes. But, when it matters most, there is support for Kate, some of it from surprising quarters. The irrepressible Harry Grimes, with his non-stop commentary, cheeky banter and unquenchable curiosity, is an utter delight.
Each chapter is prefaced by a quote (often relevant) from Kate’s essential reference book, The Woolgrower’s Companion (which never once concedes that the eponymous woolgrower might be a woman). This wonderful story is enclosed in a gorgeous cover and complemented with seven classic recipes and a list of thought-provoking Book Club Questions.
This sequel to The Woolgrower’s Companion easily stands alone but readers intending to read TWC should do so first (and why deny oneself that pleasure?) as the recap necessarily contains many spoilers. A brilliant, heart-warming novel that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Penguin Random House Australia and the author.
August 13, 2019
The Burnt Country is the second novel from Joy Rhoades, a stand alone sequel to her debut novel, The Woolgrower’s Companion.
Set in rural NSW in 1946, Kate Dowd is making a success of Amiens, the sheep station she inherited after the death of her father three years previously. Few admire her for it though, especially neighbouring grazier, John Fleming, and his cronies, who take every opportunity to undermine Kate’s management. Already under siege from her estranged husband, the Aboriginal Welfare Board, and the unexpected return of Luca Canali, Kate is feeling the strain, which only worsens when a bushfire rages through Longhope, a man is killed, and the community seems determined to lay the blame at Kate’s feet.
Rhoades skilfully captures the setting and period in which The Burnt Country is set. Her descriptions of the environs are evocative, and I could easily visualise Amiens. The characters of The Burnt Country were fully realised, and their attitudes and behaviour felt true to the time period.
“Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
If I’m honest I spent most of the book frustrated by Kate, even with the knowledge of the very real societal constraints a woman of her time, and in her position would face. She was very rarely the agent of her own fate, it was really only through the actions of others that she, and Amiens, were saved.
I adored Harry, Kate’s Informal teenage ward, though. Clever, cheeky and curious, he provided some levity in tense moments. I also had a great deal of sympathy for Daisy, and her daughter, Pearl. The policies of the Aboriginal Welfare Board were (and remain) shameful.
Perhaps because I hadn’t read The Woolgrower’s Companion, I wasn’t particularly invested in Kate’s relationship with Luca, though his adoration of her was clear. I was definitely glad Kate was finally able to rid herself of her awful husband.
”For the woolgrower, the turn of the seasons and the array of assaults upon his endeavours require both constancy and seal.”
Well written and engaging, The Burnt Country is a lovely novel, one I’d happily recommend to readers who enjoy quality Australian historical fiction. As a bonus, The Burnt Country also includes period recipes from the author’s family collection, and thoughtful discussion questions for the benefit of Book Clubs.
Set in rural NSW in 1946, Kate Dowd is making a success of Amiens, the sheep station she inherited after the death of her father three years previously. Few admire her for it though, especially neighbouring grazier, John Fleming, and his cronies, who take every opportunity to undermine Kate’s management. Already under siege from her estranged husband, the Aboriginal Welfare Board, and the unexpected return of Luca Canali, Kate is feeling the strain, which only worsens when a bushfire rages through Longhope, a man is killed, and the community seems determined to lay the blame at Kate’s feet.
Rhoades skilfully captures the setting and period in which The Burnt Country is set. Her descriptions of the environs are evocative, and I could easily visualise Amiens. The characters of The Burnt Country were fully realised, and their attitudes and behaviour felt true to the time period.
“Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
If I’m honest I spent most of the book frustrated by Kate, even with the knowledge of the very real societal constraints a woman of her time, and in her position would face. She was very rarely the agent of her own fate, it was really only through the actions of others that she, and Amiens, were saved.
I adored Harry, Kate’s Informal teenage ward, though. Clever, cheeky and curious, he provided some levity in tense moments. I also had a great deal of sympathy for Daisy, and her daughter, Pearl. The policies of the Aboriginal Welfare Board were (and remain) shameful.
Perhaps because I hadn’t read The Woolgrower’s Companion, I wasn’t particularly invested in Kate’s relationship with Luca, though his adoration of her was clear. I was definitely glad Kate was finally able to rid herself of her awful husband.
”For the woolgrower, the turn of the seasons and the array of assaults upon his endeavours require both constancy and seal.”
Well written and engaging, The Burnt Country is a lovely novel, one I’d happily recommend to readers who enjoy quality Australian historical fiction. As a bonus, The Burnt Country also includes period recipes from the author’s family collection, and thoughtful discussion questions for the benefit of Book Clubs.
April 22, 2021
“Kate was sure she didn’t need a solicitor. Doctors were for the dying, and solicitors for the guilty, her father always said. The locals would assume the worst.”
The Burnt Country is the second novel by best-selling Australian author, Joy Rhoades. The audio version is read by Edwina Wren. If three years of good rain and productivity at Amiens have been a reprieve from Kate Dowd’s biggest concerns, that all seems to be coming to an abrupt end in November, 1948. Her estranged husband, Jack has returned from the islands intent on a divorce, to which Kate is agreeable, but the price he is asking in return for not smearing her reputation is an amount that is beyond her wherewithal to raise. And sell Amiens? She could never do that.
The Aborigines Welfare Board, an inflexible bureaucracy which Kate considers is more intent on following regulations than actually caring for its charges, has issued her an ultimatum: by the end of the month, she either hands over her almost-three-year-old half-sister Pearl to be adopted by a white family, or the child’s aboriginal mother, Daisy will be moved from her position at Amiens to another employer.
Despite the fact that Harry Grimes, now thirteen, has been happily living and learning at Amiens, his recently-returned great-uncle (and Amiens ex-manager) Keith Grimes is insisting a very reluctant Harry come to live with him. Also back on the scene, Luca Canali, the man Kate is trying hard to convince herself was merely a wartime indiscretion and not the man she loves.
On top of all this, a horror bushfire season is predicted, and Kate’s carefully managed back-burns have met with disapproval from local graziers, the most vociferous of these being her close neighbour, John Fleming. “Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
Once again, Rhoades captures the mood and feel of the mid-forties farming community with consummate ease. In the era she describes there were few rights for women, children, migrants and aboriginal people, and often even fewer to advocate for them. Sexism was de rigeur, sexual harassment not unusual and there was a common mindset that mixed blood aboriginal children could only be properly raised by white folk. Divorce carried a stigma, as did the misdemeanours of one’s elders.
Rhoades’s extensive research is apparent in every chapter; the dialogue is authentic and her characters are multi-faceted, harbouring secrets and displaying entirely human reactions to the dilemmas they face. Kate makes errors of judgement that add to her woes. But, when it matters most, there is support for Kate, some of it from surprising quarters. The irrepressible Harry Grimes, with his non-stop commentary, cheeky banter and unquenchable curiosity, is an utter delight.
Each chapter is prefaced by a quote (often relevant) from Kate’s essential reference book, The Woolgrower’s Companion (which never once concedes that the eponymous woolgrower might be a woman). This wonderful story is enclosed in a gorgeous cover and complemented with seven classic recipes and a list of thought-provoking Book Club Questions.
This sequel to The Woolgrower’s Companion easily stands alone but readers intending to read TWC should do so first (and why deny oneself that pleasure?) as the recap necessarily contains many spoilers. A brilliant, heart-warming novel that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.
The Burnt Country is the second novel by best-selling Australian author, Joy Rhoades. The audio version is read by Edwina Wren. If three years of good rain and productivity at Amiens have been a reprieve from Kate Dowd’s biggest concerns, that all seems to be coming to an abrupt end in November, 1948. Her estranged husband, Jack has returned from the islands intent on a divorce, to which Kate is agreeable, but the price he is asking in return for not smearing her reputation is an amount that is beyond her wherewithal to raise. And sell Amiens? She could never do that.
The Aborigines Welfare Board, an inflexible bureaucracy which Kate considers is more intent on following regulations than actually caring for its charges, has issued her an ultimatum: by the end of the month, she either hands over her almost-three-year-old half-sister Pearl to be adopted by a white family, or the child’s aboriginal mother, Daisy will be moved from her position at Amiens to another employer.
Despite the fact that Harry Grimes, now thirteen, has been happily living and learning at Amiens, his recently-returned great-uncle (and Amiens ex-manager) Keith Grimes is insisting a very reluctant Harry come to live with him. Also back on the scene, Luca Canali, the man Kate is trying hard to convince herself was merely a wartime indiscretion and not the man she loves.
On top of all this, a horror bushfire season is predicted, and Kate’s carefully managed back-burns have met with disapproval from local graziers, the most vociferous of these being her close neighbour, John Fleming. “Kate knew: the same rules didn’t apply to her as to other graziers, to the men. If she did anything that was disapproved of the town felt, without exception, that she needed to be taught a lesson, as if she were a child.”
Once again, Rhoades captures the mood and feel of the mid-forties farming community with consummate ease. In the era she describes there were few rights for women, children, migrants and aboriginal people, and often even fewer to advocate for them. Sexism was de rigeur, sexual harassment not unusual and there was a common mindset that mixed blood aboriginal children could only be properly raised by white folk. Divorce carried a stigma, as did the misdemeanours of one’s elders.
Rhoades’s extensive research is apparent in every chapter; the dialogue is authentic and her characters are multi-faceted, harbouring secrets and displaying entirely human reactions to the dilemmas they face. Kate makes errors of judgement that add to her woes. But, when it matters most, there is support for Kate, some of it from surprising quarters. The irrepressible Harry Grimes, with his non-stop commentary, cheeky banter and unquenchable curiosity, is an utter delight.
Each chapter is prefaced by a quote (often relevant) from Kate’s essential reference book, The Woolgrower’s Companion (which never once concedes that the eponymous woolgrower might be a woman). This wonderful story is enclosed in a gorgeous cover and complemented with seven classic recipes and a list of thought-provoking Book Club Questions.
This sequel to The Woolgrower’s Companion easily stands alone but readers intending to read TWC should do so first (and why deny oneself that pleasure?) as the recap necessarily contains many spoilers. A brilliant, heart-warming novel that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.
August 22, 2019
Fabulous! A tension packed read.
My View:
This was not the booked I expected to read!
Firstly I did not realise that this was the second in a series until I looked up the book details for my review. But don’t worry this reads perfectly as a stand a one.
Second – this is not the rural romance I thought it was going to be. There are relationships – but that is what life is about; the complex nature of our emotional resilience.
Thirdly – whilst this is a “historical” fiction the times are not that far away (late 1940s early 50’s). I found the social issues intriguing; women’s’ rights – financial, social, family, legal, work, domestic violence, the war, detention, The Stolen Generation… so so interesting and engaging.
This narrative packs a big punch – so many social issues, a tense engaging plot, relationships that felt real, I loved the way women supported each other and help raise each other up. The theme of fire was constant and added a cohesion to the overall plot and an uneasiness that anyone living in a dry, remote countryside will understand.
This read was surprising and amazing! I loved it and I hope you do too.
And I see a book to film in the future....
PS
I enjoyed the bonus recipes supplied at the end of the book.
My View:
This was not the booked I expected to read!
Firstly I did not realise that this was the second in a series until I looked up the book details for my review. But don’t worry this reads perfectly as a stand a one.
Second – this is not the rural romance I thought it was going to be. There are relationships – but that is what life is about; the complex nature of our emotional resilience.
Thirdly – whilst this is a “historical” fiction the times are not that far away (late 1940s early 50’s). I found the social issues intriguing; women’s’ rights – financial, social, family, legal, work, domestic violence, the war, detention, The Stolen Generation… so so interesting and engaging.
This narrative packs a big punch – so many social issues, a tense engaging plot, relationships that felt real, I loved the way women supported each other and help raise each other up. The theme of fire was constant and added a cohesion to the overall plot and an uneasiness that anyone living in a dry, remote countryside will understand.
This read was surprising and amazing! I loved it and I hope you do too.
And I see a book to film in the future....
PS
I enjoyed the bonus recipes supplied at the end of the book.
July 24, 2024
Setting: Rural New South Wales, Australia; 1948 on.
In this follow-up to The Woolgrower's Companion, events have moved on three years but Kate Dowd, running the large sheep station of Amiens but still meeting opposition at every turn from the bank and the other farmers in the area, due to the fact that she is a woman in a man's world. Kate has to face several threats to her lifestyle in the course of the book - her ex-husband Jack demanding a divorce and money; her ex-lover Luca returned from Italy after the war and now working on a neighbouring farm; the Aboriginal Welfare Board demanding that her Aboriginal maid Daisy give up Kate's half-sister Pearl to be raised by a white family; the return of her ex-manager Grimes to work on the ranch next door owned by the irascible Fleming - but worst of all is to come when a grass fire rages through her and Fleming's properties and people try to blame Kate for starting it....
I really enjoyed the first book and, if anything, this one was even better - real edge-of-your-seat stuff as I had to keep reading to see whether Kate could overcome all the setbacks that she was facing and also wondering if there was any future for her and Luca. It is definitely better to read the first book before in order to get all the background necessary to fully appreciate this one but it is definitely an excellent read, even if normally not a genre I read regularly. A real Aussie rural vibe to this one with many excellent characters - 9/10.
In this follow-up to The Woolgrower's Companion, events have moved on three years but Kate Dowd, running the large sheep station of Amiens but still meeting opposition at every turn from the bank and the other farmers in the area, due to the fact that she is a woman in a man's world. Kate has to face several threats to her lifestyle in the course of the book - her ex-husband Jack demanding a divorce and money; her ex-lover Luca returned from Italy after the war and now working on a neighbouring farm; the Aboriginal Welfare Board demanding that her Aboriginal maid Daisy give up Kate's half-sister Pearl to be raised by a white family; the return of her ex-manager Grimes to work on the ranch next door owned by the irascible Fleming - but worst of all is to come when a grass fire rages through her and Fleming's properties and people try to blame Kate for starting it....
I really enjoyed the first book and, if anything, this one was even better - real edge-of-your-seat stuff as I had to keep reading to see whether Kate could overcome all the setbacks that she was facing and also wondering if there was any future for her and Luca. It is definitely better to read the first book before in order to get all the background necessary to fully appreciate this one but it is definitely an excellent read, even if normally not a genre I read regularly. A real Aussie rural vibe to this one with many excellent characters - 9/10.
September 16, 2019
This book enthralled me with its evocative rural setting and punchy tale of life on the land. The story, which focused on Kate Dowd's struggles to keep her property after her estranged husband comes skulking back for a share, is an insightful look not only at the challenges of rural life, but how much more difficult it was for a woman to survive in a tough and judgmental environment where divorce was frowned upon and men (and bureaucracy) knew best. Kate's life is complicated by the threat of fire, the return of her former lover, and the impending return of the Aborigines Welfare Board to swoop up her little half-sister. The story crackles with tension and I really felt Kate's frustration as she came up against one obstacle after another. All up, it's a heartwarming and wonderful piece of Australian historical fiction (and the recipes at the back ticked boxes for me!) in which women's resilience and support shines despite the hardships they face.
This book can be read as a sequel to The Woolgrower's Companion, but I read it as a standalone and had no problem connecting the dots about the backstory.
This book can be read as a sequel to The Woolgrower's Companion, but I read it as a standalone and had no problem connecting the dots about the backstory.
September 2, 2019
The Burnt Country written by Joy Rhoades is the sequel to The Woolgrower's Companion (which can be read stand-alone) or in conjunction with Woolgrower's.
I read The Woolgrower's Companion when it was first published and I was captivated by Joy Rhoades writing.
In the new novel, The Burnt Country we meet Kate again who's been running the sheep station, Amiens in rural New South Wales.
Australia is a sunburnt country where we often have to use methods of burning off to repel an upcoming bushfire.
Fire risk is prevalent in this new novel, The Burnt Country where Kate is trying her hardest to keep everything under control but unfortunately it's not Kate's only problem. She has to deal with her ex-husband Jack's demands to sell the farm as well as dealing with the Aborigines Welfare Board who threaten to take away her Aboriginal half-sister, Pearl.
Then, there's Luca Canali, Kate's wartime lover ~ can the love between them 'blossom' again through the trials and tribulations of divorce, property settlement and more importantly an upcoming catastrophic bushfire?
Read it and see, in this new novel, The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades, full of warmth, catastrophy, an Australian melo-drama.
I loved the down-to-earth writing style of the author and was captivated from beginning to end with the writer's description of all things Australian from the bird life, (pink and grey galahs) to the wallabies, descriptions of wool and it's uses.
There was even a touch of 'English' with plenty of 'tea' to be poured by one of the characters!
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is given a mention in the book and how important it is to remote areas of Australia.
I really enjoyed this book, The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades and was lucky to meet the author while she was on tour from England to Australia.
* I mustn't forget to add there are great country recipes at the back of each book, Woolgrower's and The Burnt Country from The CWAA (The Country Women's Association of Australia) to keep you busy cooking until to Christmas and well into the New Year.
I read The Woolgrower's Companion when it was first published and I was captivated by Joy Rhoades writing.
In the new novel, The Burnt Country we meet Kate again who's been running the sheep station, Amiens in rural New South Wales.
Australia is a sunburnt country where we often have to use methods of burning off to repel an upcoming bushfire.
Fire risk is prevalent in this new novel, The Burnt Country where Kate is trying her hardest to keep everything under control but unfortunately it's not Kate's only problem. She has to deal with her ex-husband Jack's demands to sell the farm as well as dealing with the Aborigines Welfare Board who threaten to take away her Aboriginal half-sister, Pearl.
Then, there's Luca Canali, Kate's wartime lover ~ can the love between them 'blossom' again through the trials and tribulations of divorce, property settlement and more importantly an upcoming catastrophic bushfire?
Read it and see, in this new novel, The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades, full of warmth, catastrophy, an Australian melo-drama.
I loved the down-to-earth writing style of the author and was captivated from beginning to end with the writer's description of all things Australian from the bird life, (pink and grey galahs) to the wallabies, descriptions of wool and it's uses.
There was even a touch of 'English' with plenty of 'tea' to be poured by one of the characters!
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is given a mention in the book and how important it is to remote areas of Australia.
I really enjoyed this book, The Burnt Country by Joy Rhoades and was lucky to meet the author while she was on tour from England to Australia.
* I mustn't forget to add there are great country recipes at the back of each book, Woolgrower's and The Burnt Country from The CWAA (The Country Women's Association of Australia) to keep you busy cooking until to Christmas and well into the New Year.
September 26, 2019
While I enjoyed this book, especially the twist at the end which was very cleverly written, I felt that possibly I was missing something. Having not read the Woolgrowers Companion I wonder if my main issue with the book (Kate's deceased father) would have been explained somehow in the earlier book.
Here comes the spoiler!
Kate's father raped an aboriginal girl (Pearl) and fathers her child but Kate talks about not wanting to let her dad down and seems to look up to him despite the fact he raped someone. As he is dead I don't know if maybe he had some sort of mental illness later in life and that's what happened and it is covered in the forth book. If it is fair enough but this is meant to be a stand alone so I don't get it. Especially when Kate says that she would want to bury Pearl near her parents but that wouldn't be appropriate because she was aboriginal. Or how about because your dad raped her. That's why it isn't appropriate love. That's why.
The farming aspects were good and I admired Kate's determination if only I could wrap my head around her feelings towards her father and his actions.
Here comes the spoiler!
Kate's father raped an aboriginal girl (Pearl) and fathers her child but Kate talks about not wanting to let her dad down and seems to look up to him despite the fact he raped someone. As he is dead I don't know if maybe he had some sort of mental illness later in life and that's what happened and it is covered in the forth book. If it is fair enough but this is meant to be a stand alone so I don't get it. Especially when Kate says that she would want to bury Pearl near her parents but that wouldn't be appropriate because she was aboriginal. Or how about because your dad raped her. That's why it isn't appropriate love. That's why.
The farming aspects were good and I admired Kate's determination if only I could wrap my head around her feelings towards her father and his actions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2020
Well written and enjoyable novel. Although I was somewhat frustrated with the depiction of small country town attitudes, I enjoyed the links to sheep-like behaviours
February 19, 2020
A simple read, sugary here and there with threads of historical facts on the laws and treatment of aboriginal people.
The narrative is set in NSW sheep farming country with the protagonist being a ‘single white female’ station owner in a male dominated industry.
Some parts were a bit gripping.... some parts were a bit eye rolling. Better than watching telly!!
The narrative is set in NSW sheep farming country with the protagonist being a ‘single white female’ station owner in a male dominated industry.
Some parts were a bit gripping.... some parts were a bit eye rolling. Better than watching telly!!
January 7, 2020
A great wrap up sequel to the novel 'The Woolgrowers Companion' which stepped back in to the life of Kate Stimson.
I honestly read this in mostly a day as it is an easy read to comprehend and having read the first novel only a few weeks ago I wanted to continue the story even if it was set a few weeks later.
The setting, a tough female protagonist continues but her life continues to head towards turmoil highlighting how difficult it was (and still is) for a female farmer to work with the prejudice and discrimination against her.
I think I was still a little starved for romance, although there is a live interest I feel like the story skips over the steamy love that Kate and (spolier) Luca share. Or at least I think I do...
A must if you have read 'The Woolgrowers Companion'
I honestly read this in mostly a day as it is an easy read to comprehend and having read the first novel only a few weeks ago I wanted to continue the story even if it was set a few weeks later.
The setting, a tough female protagonist continues but her life continues to head towards turmoil highlighting how difficult it was (and still is) for a female farmer to work with the prejudice and discrimination against her.
I think I was still a little starved for romance, although there is a live interest I feel like the story skips over the steamy love that Kate and (spolier) Luca share. Or at least I think I do...
A must if you have read 'The Woolgrowers Companion'
September 10, 2019
I thought this story set in 1948 was a marvellous portrayal of attitudes and struggles of that post war era.
Essentially a love story but so much more. Rhodes brought the people to life with her portrayal of a post war NSW outback sheep station run by a woman facing down a bigoted community set to see her fail.
In our present dry conditions with bushfires all over QLD and NSW the description of a NSW community facing fires is very real.
I was impressed by the author’s authentic research into the Board of Aboriginal Protection and how draconian it was. This is a part of our history in Australia, not a fictional drama for impact.
Four and a half stars for this one.
Essentially a love story but so much more. Rhodes brought the people to life with her portrayal of a post war NSW outback sheep station run by a woman facing down a bigoted community set to see her fail.
In our present dry conditions with bushfires all over QLD and NSW the description of a NSW community facing fires is very real.
I was impressed by the author’s authentic research into the Board of Aboriginal Protection and how draconian it was. This is a part of our history in Australia, not a fictional drama for impact.
Four and a half stars for this one.
October 27, 2024
I was hoping to enjoy this story but started on the audiobook. It didn't have a style that held my interest unfortunately so gave up after the first 30 minutes. I think the reader voices were trying too hard for country, Aussie accents - they grated, maybe as an Aussie I found them embarrassing - they turned me off the story and I really think there are much more interesting country voices. Judging by other reviews, it would have improved or would have been better reading the book but it lacked the beginning hook for me.
October 11, 2019
Loved this book about a sheep station in the outback owned and run by a 23yr old woman.
Take away thought was "don't let people know that you know they've wronged you in some way, because in years to come, and because you live in a small community, even though they've been in the wrong they will always resent you. Especially the gender issue."
My thought - we all live in small communities in some way or other.
Take away thought was "don't let people know that you know they've wronged you in some way, because in years to come, and because you live in a small community, even though they've been in the wrong they will always resent you. Especially the gender issue."
My thought - we all live in small communities in some way or other.
January 11, 2020
In light of the bushfire situation at the time I picked up this book I decided to try it.
I would call it an easy read, but with some of the topics raised, not a light read. I hadn't read the earlier book and enough was explained re the characters that it wasn't necessary.
It felt real enough with the attitudes and the characters, including the Australian landscape.
I would recommend this to anyone.
I would call it an easy read, but with some of the topics raised, not a light read. I hadn't read the earlier book and enough was explained re the characters that it wasn't necessary.
It felt real enough with the attitudes and the characters, including the Australian landscape.
I would recommend this to anyone.
July 26, 2020
The Burnt country is a wonderful sequel to The Woolgrowers Companion. Joy Rhoades takes us on a journey back to the sheep farm, Amiens, where Kate Dowd is battling the elements as well as the patriarchal attitudes of the late 1940's. The fire season is upon them and the dry heat is almost as oppressive as the troubles looming on Kate's horizon. This is a story where you root hard for the main character Kate, but at the same time you struggle to figure out how she could possibly overcome all the obstacles in her way. The heat, her mean neighbour, her greedy ex-husband, the police who are trying to remove her aboriginal companion Daisy, and the ex-farm manager Grimes, are all working against her. Will she ever find love with the Italian neighbour, Luca? There is a wonderful sense of atmosphere in this book, (the farm, the vegetation, the fire danger) as well as a sweep of Australian history, plenty of girl power that will leave you elated, and the perfect amount of romance.
April 16, 2021
I had already read the first book by this same author, titled ‘The Woolgrower’s Companion’. I’m not sure if this sequel would stand alone, however reading the first book does give certain characters and facts some context. Again this is an enjoyable and easy read, with mostly likeable characters, mixed with the odd nasty villain. It’s certainly not a literary masterpiece, however after recently reading too many bleak heavy duty novels, this one did just fine.
September 17, 2019
So excited to receive the second book by Joy and to fall into the world of Kate, Daisy, Harry and Luca. Lived up to expectations. Was great to see how the characters evolved. Joy brought to life the hardships of living on the land in Australia, living through droughts and bushfires, of living in a sunburnt country. Bring on book 3!
October 4, 2019
A great follow up to The Woolgrower's Companion. I think because I already knew the characters this one was easier to get into and it was a faster paced story. Still had lots of history that we should know more about. As I was travelling through the areas the book is based on it had extra special meaning too.
February 22, 2020
Fabulous fast-paced follow up to The Woolgrowers Companion which I enjoyed equally. Surrounds the circumstances of an bush fire in outback NSW which seems quite timely given the recent fires here in Oz. Great plot and wraps up the characters lives by the end leaving you feeling satisfied with all outcomes.
October 26, 2019
What a great read. The description of the oncoming fire towards the dam where they were sheltering was scary brilliantly written their fear palatable. Read this book in one sitting a real page turning with a great ending. Well done Joy thanks for a great read
December 22, 2019
Loved this book. It is a sequel to The Woolgrowers Companion which I also loved; best to read that one first. I don't give five stars often, there is so much to say that I am speechless! Just read it.
May 15, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I even said out loud a number of times - “ what! Why are they so mean!”
Interesting book about the Australian outback just after the 2nd world war and how a female owner is treated and copes.
Interesting book about the Australian outback just after the 2nd world war and how a female owner is treated and copes.
July 4, 2020
Loved it - such a different type of story and had to keep remembering the year (after WW2) as was making me angry the way women were treated, but that was the way it was - glad things have changed, well mostly anyway.
March 30, 2021
I found the first part of this Novel slow, I just did not find any of the characters interesting. Thankfully the book started to come alive and I enjoyed the last half with the character and story coming together.
September 13, 2019
Easy to read, some important issues raised and one section was particularly gripping.
September 15, 2019
Wonderful Australian fiction. Set in 1948, Rhoades captures the prejudices of the times. There are several twists and turns in this story, but it is captivating and authentic.
October 13, 2019
The honesty of the time, the struggle to realise how women of the time lived, the inequality of women and race. The love of the land. A fantastic author
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