Book: A Distant Journey

Summary: In 1962 Cindy drops out of college to impulsively marry an Australian grazier, 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's new life at Kingsley Downs station is not what she'd imagined as she is flung into a strange and challenging world. Natural disasters and the caprices of the wool industry shape her destiny and though she tries hard to fit in, she finds she is always the outsider.

Adjusting to her new life, Cindy discovers that her new family comes with secrets and a mystery that haunts them all. When Cindy uncovers the shocking truth, the consequences lead to tragedy and Cindy must fight to save her family.


What I Thought: This was ok. A bit disjointed for me and not her best piece of work.

Book: The Red Coast

Summary: After the upheaval which separated Jacqui Bouchard from her beloved son, she has finally settled in Broome, a magical remote town on the northwest coast of Australia.
But when a proposed mining development is unveiled, the town begins to tear itself apart. Rifts run deep, as friends, families and lovers are faced with a battle that could change their lives irrevocably.
As everyone takes sides, Jacqui confronts her own dilemma: to stay or leave? Who to trust . . . Who to love?


What I Thought: Haven't read a Di Morrissey for a few years. Good book which touched on a few issues. What a stunning locations... one day!

Book: The Reef

Summary: Ambitious Blair Towse is appointed assistant manager of a Branch Island resort with his university graduate wife Jennifer, who finds herself isolated, lonely and forced to confront her childhood fear of the sea.   On the surface, the island is all you could wish for: a lush resort, a naturalist's dream, a diver's delight. But Jennifer begins to discover the island holds secrets and dangers.  When world famous oceanographer Maria Belitas arrives, she teaches Jennifer to come to terms with the phobias of her widowed mother as well as her own disintegrating marriage.

What I thought: I really enjoyed this. Definitely one of her better ones :)

Book: The Plantation

Summary: When Australian Julie Reagan discovers a book written about wild Malaysia in the 1970s, she decides to find out more about the author – her great aunt. Why did her grandmother refuse to speak about her sister who disappeared from the family, 60 years before? What caused such a severe rift?

Julie is invited to stay with her cousins who run the plantation founded by her great grandfather in Malaya a hundred years ago, and she decides to visit in the hope of finding clues to this family mystery. What Julie finds sends her spiralling through generations of loves, deaths, tragedy and the challenges of the present until she discovers her grandmother's shocking secret.

What I thought: I did enjoy this but once again I defintely prefer to read about Australia..

Book: Follow the Morning Star

Summary: Queenie and TR return in Di Morrissey's sequel to the bestselling Heart of the Dreaming (review here).  Queenie Hanlon has a perfect life. She's the mother of two adoring children, the wealthy owner of a thriving outback station and the wife of handsome bushman TR Hamilton. Then one day, Queenie's perfect life comes crashing down...

Her bitter and vengeful brother returns from Italy to lay claim to his inheritance. Her precious daughter is seduced by her uncle into giving up all Queenie's strived for. And her beloved TR, injured in a riding accident, can no longer recall the life they once shared.

What I thought: Ah, gotta love a good sequel. So nice to jump back into the lives of characters you love...

Book: The Valley

Summary: The valley is nestled between rugged peaks, divided by a magnificent river. Within its peaceful green contours are held the secrets of generations of tribes, families and loners who have come under its spell. But some secrets are never shared, never told. Until one woman returns and begins asking questions... and discovers the story of a forgotten valley pioneer whose life becomes entwined with hers. But in looking into her own family's history she uncovers more than she ever expected – and what her mother hoped would always remain a secret...

What I thought: Great book. Although I may need a break from Di Morrissey as am having a bit of author overload. But I still really enjoyed. She captures country towns and landscapes so well.

Book: The Bay

Summary: When Sydney corporate wife Holly Jamieson turns 40, she shocks her husband by buying an old house in The Bay, a beautiful and peaceful town on the Australian east coast, and transforming it into a charming B&B. What began as a gesture of independence changes her life. Holly soon discovers that beneath its tranquil surface, The Bay is a whirlpool of passions and conflicts. Once a whaling town, then a sleepy resort that became trendy... and now developers are moving in for the kill. Holly, her family, and an unusual band of new friends are in the battle lines.

What I thought: Once again I really enjoyed. Just love the vivid imagery. Must admit though that in this one there were a few too many characters and I got a little mixed up...

Book: Kimberley Sun

Summary: Lily Barton is beautiful, adventurous and looking for a complete life change. Sami, her daughter, is 30, driving alone through the outback and finally, reluctantly, confronting her family roots. Together they are swept into a world where legends, myths and reality start to converge. Among those who come into their orbit are Farouz, the old Afghan camel driver, Bobby, the Chinese/Aboriginal man who is tangled in the murder of a German tourist, and Biddy, the survivor from Captain Tyndall and Olivia's era… All have a secret and all have a story to tell until each finds their place under the Kimberley sun.

I am so loving Di Morrissey. This again swept me in... Once again though I later discovered it was a sequel! So annoyed. Will probably wait a few years before reading the first one now.

Book: Heart of the Dreaming

Summary: At 21, Queenie Hanlon has the world at her feet and the love of handsome bushman TR Hamilton. Beautiful, wealthy and intelligent, she is the only daughter of Tingulla Station, the famed outback property in the wilds of western Queensland. At 22, her life lies in ruins. A series of disasters has robbed her of everything she ever loved. Everything except Tingulla – her ancestral home and her spirit's Dreaming place. An extraordinary tale of one woman's courage and her determination to take on the world and win.

Oh my, what a romping great read. Outback romance at it's best. Will have to borrow the sequel now. Just adored this book and the characters in it. Trashy rural romance, handsome farmers, determined women.... Bliss!

Book: Last Mile Home

Summary: It is 1953 in a small Australian country town, a time of post-war prosperity and hope. The Holtens are wealthy, yet austere, graziers who have lived on the land for generations. The McBrides are a large and loving shearer's family who are new arrivals to the district. When the McBrides eldest daughter falls in love with the Holtens only son and heir, it seems impossible that they can have a future together. As conflict and tragedy confront them, it is only with great determination that their love can survive.

Loved this! A beautiful country romance full of drama. The McBrides remind me of the family from the Darling Buds of May! I've started to become a major fan of Di Morrissey.

Book: The Silent Country

Summary: TV producer Veronica Anderson travels to the Northern Territory to retrace the journey of an expedition that had set out 50 years earlier to film the outback, but which mysteriously ended in tragedy. Of the group, led by the eccentric Maxim Topov, few are still alive and they are reluctant to talk about the intriguing events. It is through the help of local NT Park Ranger, Jamie McIntosh, that Veronica begins to piece together the puzzle and discover the answers...

Really enjoyed this book. The way she writes about the outback really is like you're there. Such magnificent places I have yet to visit. One day...