Born into the sweat and drudgery of a New South Wales sheep farm at the end of the 19th century, Dolly Maunder is different to her siblings. She will not endure the small, servile existence of a wife. Dolly, bright, ambitious and stubborn, dreams of a different fate, of building something that she truly owns.
She will do whatever it takes to be the woman she deserves to be. Even with a husband and children, Dolly pushes the boundaries of what is 'proper' and what a wife and mother ought to do, as war spreads across Europe and the rules are forever changed. But every life has its limits. What happens when Dolly's wanderlust finally risks taking her too far?
First published: 2024
Pages: 256
Genres: Historical Fiction
Amazon Rating: 4.1 out of 1,000 reviews
Our review in brief:
| 1. Rating: 7.5 out of 10 |
| 2. Recommended: Even though some people felt the book dragged a little in the middle, everyone said they would recommend it. |
| 3. Audience: The book would suit mainly women from their mid 20s upwards. Some men, with an interest in social history, may also appreciate the book |
| 4. Type of Read: It was an easy, straight forward read, though it was sad in places. |
| 5. Quality of the Author: The quality of the writing was good in general, although one comment was that it did "go on a bit". Most people said they would read another book by this author. Some were interested in "One Life: My Mother's Story". The story of Dolly's daughter. |
| 6. Other Observations: The author only explained that the story was based on the life of her grandmother at the end of the book. It may have been better to know this at the start, as the constant moving felt a little unreal. We were all glad we did not live in Dolly's time, when life seemed so much harder. |