In 1978 the Northern Territory has begun to self-govern. Cyclone Tracy is a recent memory and telephones not yet a fixture on the cattle stations dominating the rugged outback. Life is hard and people are isolated. But they find ways to connect. 
Sybil is the matriarch of Fairvale Station, run by her husband, Joe. Their eldest son, Lachlan, was Joe's designated successor but he has left the Territory - for good. It is up to their second son, Ben, to take his brother's place. But that doesn't stop Sybil grieving the absence of her child. 
With her oldest friend, Rita, now living in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Ben's English wife, Kate, finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale, Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship and purpose: they all love to read, and she forms a book club. 
Mother-of-three Sallyanne is invited to join them. Sallyanne dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town of Katherine where she lives with her difficult husband, Mick. 
Completing the group is Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land. 
If you loved THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL and THE THORN BIRDS you will devour this story of five different women united by one need: to overcome the vast distances of Australia's Top End with friendship, tears, laughter, books and love.

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

Literature & Fiction

Green, Sophie

Contemporary

IMPORT AUS

LONGLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2018 LONGLISTED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS 2018: General Fiction Book of the Year and Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year In 1978 the Northern Territory has begun to self-govern. Cyclone Tracy is a recent memory and telephones not yet a fixture on the cattle stations dominating the rugged outback. Life is hard and people are isolated. But they find ways to connect. Sybil is the matriarch of Fairvale Station, run by her husband, Joe. Their eldest son, Lachlan, was Joe's designated successor but he has left the Territory - for good. It is up to their second son, Ben, to take his brother's place. But that doesn't stop Sybil grieving the absence of her child. With her oldest friend, Rita, now living in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Ben's English wife, Kate, finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale, Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship and purpose: they all love to read, and she forms a book club. Mother-of-three Sallyanne is invited to join them. Sallyanne dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town of Katherine where she lives with her difficult husband, Mick. Completing the group is Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land. If you loved THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL and THE THORN BIRDS you will devour this story of five different women united by one need: to overcome the vast distances of Australia's Top End with friendship, tears, laughter, books and love. 'The story of these resilient women is tender and intimate. Sophie Green has created a world that's as heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY 'An absolute gem of a novel, with the most evocative sense of place . . . A definite treat for any book club.' BETTER READING

Genre Fiction

Hachette Australia

It's 1982 in Australia. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is a box office hit and Paul Hogan is on the TV. In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves. From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life. After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself. Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle. In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms. Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day. 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'A delightful novel about the power of female friendship' Sunday Age 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean.' - JOANNA NELL Praise for Sophie Green's THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB 'Tender, intimate, heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

From the author of beloved Top Ten bestsellers The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club and The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle comes a delightful new novel about friendship, love and finding yourself. Far North Queensland, 1993: At 74, former cane farmer Grace Maud is feeling her age, and her isolation, and thinks the best of life may be behind her. Elsewhere in town, high school teacher Patricia has given up on her dreams of travel and adventure and has moved back home to look after her ageing parents, while cafe owner Dorothy is struggling to accept that she may never have the baby she and her husband so desperately want. Each woman has an unspoken need: reconnection. And that's how they find themselves at Orange Blossom House, surrounded by perfumed rainforest, being cajoled and encouraged by their yoga teacher, the lively Sandrine. Together, they will find courage and strength - and discover that life has much more to offer than they ever expected. Set amid the lush beauty of tropical Queensland, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House is a heartwarming story of friendship and family, of chances missed and taken, and the eternal power of love. Praise for Sophie Green: 'Sophie Green has established herself as a leading writer of warm-hearted tales about female friendship and second chances' Canberra Weekly 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL 'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

A warm-hearted story of fresh beginnings, unexpected friendships and the sustaining power of love and community, from the Top Ten bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle and Thursdays at Orange Blossom House.\nBellbird River, 1998: Teacher and single mum Alex is newly arrived in the small NSW country town of Bellbird River after escaping the city in search of a change of pace and the chance to reconnect with her young daughter. Across town, well-known matriarch Victoria and her globe-trotting, opera-singing cousin Gabrielle find themselves at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives, while local baker Janine and newcomer to the district Debbie are each secretly dealing with the consequences of painful pasts. With its dusty streets, lone pub and iron-lace verandahs, Bellbird River could just be a pit stop on the road to somewhere else. But their town holds some secrets and surprises - and it has a heart: the Bellbird River Country Choir.\nAmid the melodies and camaraderie of the choir, each of the women will find the courage to leave the past behind. And together, they'll discover that friends are much closer to home than they'd ever realised.\n'This is a warm treat of a novel, filled with great music and small-town charm' The Australian 
'Full of great characters and topical themes, this is a very engaging and inspiring novel' Canberra Weekly 
'Charming and nostalgic ... Fans of Tricia Stringer and Joanna Nell will devour The Bellbird River Country Choir. It's a warm treat' Better Reading\nPraise for Sophie Green: 
'Atmospheric and incredibly descriptive, reading a Sophie Green book is the greatest escape' Who Magazine 
'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 
'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL 
'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

The Bellbird River Country Choir

From the author of beloved Top Ten bestsellers The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club and The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle comes a delightful novel about friendship, love and finding yourself. Far North Queensland, 1993: At 74, former cane farmer Grace Maud is feeling her age, and her isolation, and thinks the best of life may be behind her. Elsewhere in town, high school teacher Patricia has given up on her dreams of travel and adventure and has moved back home to look after her ageing parents, while cafe owner Dorothy is struggling to accept that she may never have the baby she and her husband so desperately want. Each woman has an unspoken need: reconnection. And that's how they find themselves at Orange Blossom House, surrounded by perfumed rainforest, being cajoled and encouraged by their yoga teacher, the lively Sandrine. Together, they will find courage and strength - and discover that life has much more to offer than they ever expected. Set amid the lush beauty of tropical Queensland, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House is a heartwarming story of friendship and family, of chances missed and taken, and the eternal power of love. Praise for Sophie Green: 'Sophie Green has established herself as a leading writer of warm-hearted tales about female friendship and second chances' Canberra Weekly 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL 'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

Noosa Heads, 1987: Newly divorced Cynthia has returned to her home town from Los Angeles to reconnect with her 19-year-old daughter, who is pregnant and determined not to listen to her mother's advice. Cynthia's former best friend, Lorraine, has been stuck mowing lawns as part of a business she shares with her husband - his dream, not hers. When Cynthia convinces Lorraine to join the local Sunshine Gardening Society, they meet young widow Elizabeth, and rootless, heartbroken Kathy.\nThe four women soon discover the society is much more than an opportunity to chat about flowers. Rather, it offers them the chance to lend a helping hand to people whose lives need a bit of care and attention right along with their gardens.\nBetween pulling up weeds and planting natives, the women learn from each other that some roots go deep, and others shallow; that seeds can lie dormant for a long time before they spring to life, and that careful tending is the key to lives and friendships that reach their full potential.\nPraise for WEEKENDS WITH THE SUNSHINE GARDENING SOCIETY\n'Warm and uplifting'WOMAN'S DAY\n'Delightful'BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS\n'An enjoyable and heartwarming read'ABC GARDENING AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE\n'If you love gardening, then you're going to love Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society. This is a compassionately written story full of joy and hope'YOUR TIME MAGAZINE\n'A ray of sunshine . . . and such a great armchair escape'THE VILLAGE OBSERVER\nPraise for the novels of Sophie Green\n'Atmospheric and incredibly descriptive, reading a Sophie Green book is the greatest escape'WHO MAGAZINE\n'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz'THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY\n'This is a warm treat of a novel, filled with great music and small-town charm' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN\n'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL\n'A tender, heartwarming read' NEW IDEA

Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society

A warm-hearted story of fresh beginnings, unexpected friendships and the sustaining power of love and community, from the Top Ten bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle and Thursdays at Orange Blossom House. Bellbird River, 1998: Teacher and single mum Alex is newly arrived in the small NSW country town of Bellbird River after escaping the city in search of a change of pace and the chance to reconnect with her young daughter. Across town, well-known matriarch Victoria and her globe-trotting, opera-singing cousin Gabrielle find themselves at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives, while local baker Janine and newcomer to the district Debbie are each secretly dealing with the consequences of painful pasts. With its dusty streets, lone pub and iron-lace verandahs, Bellbird River could just be a pit stop on the road to somewhere else. But their town holds some secrets and surprises - and it has a heart: the Bellbird River Country Choir. Amid the melodies and camaraderie of the choir, each of the women will find the courage to leave the past behind. And together, they'll discover that friends are much closer to home than they'd ever realised. 'This is a warm treat of a novel, filled with great music and small-town charm' The Australian 'Full of great characters and topical themes, this is a very engaging and inspiring novel' Canberra Weekly 'Charming and nostalgic ... Fans of Tricia Stringer and Joanna Nell will devour The Bellbird River Country Choir. It's a warm treat' Better Reading 'An easy read packed with song, friendship, country warmth [and] surprises' Courier Mail Praise for Sophie Green: 'Atmospheric and incredibly descriptive, reading a Sophie Green book is the greatest escape' Who Magazine 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL 'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly

Sophie Green, Top Ten bestselling author of The Bellbird River Country Choir and Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society, returns with a warm-hearted new novel about friendships, fresh starts and finding yourself. Mornington Peninsula, 1999. Wife and now grandmother Joan has checked into the grand old Duchess Hotel to find herself again after thirty-five years of being who her husband and family have wanted her to be. Peninsula local and soon-to-be octogenarian Frances is distracting herself from getting old, and avoiding her self-interested son by escaping to the warmth of the Duchess where the hotel staff treat her like the person she still is. Meanwhile Frances's daughter, Alison, is trying to manage significant disruptions at home while hoping to finally prove to her mother that she's just as worthy of love as her brother. New to the Duchess, hotel maid Kirrily is feeling the weight of a lifetime of responsibility, struggling to balance bills and work and family, and keeping thoughts of how there must be more to life at bay. With its old-world glamour, sprawling seaside grounds and air of possibility, the Duchess Hotel might just be the place to help the women rediscover who they are and bring some spark back to their lives. When Joan decides to pick up a brush and start painting for the first time in decades, she inspires Frances and Kirrily - and, eventually, Alison - to join her. Over canvas, conversation and creativity they will learn that you should always hold onto your dreams and that new friends can give you the courage to live life on your own terms. Praise for WEEKENDS WITH THE SUNSHINE GARDENING SOCIETY 'Warm and uplifting'WOMAN'S DAY 'Delightful'BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS 'An enjoyable and heartwarming read'ABC GARDENING AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE 'A compassionately written story full of joy and hope'YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 'A ray of sunshine . . . and such a great armchair escape'THE VILLAGE OBSERVER Praise for the novels of Sophie Green 'Atmospheric and incredibly descriptive, reading a Sophie Green book is the greatest escape'WHO MAGAZINE 'Heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz'THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY 'A warm treat of a novel, filled with great music and small-town charm' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' JOANNA NELL

Art Hour at the Duchess Hotel

'Warm and uplifting' WOMAN'S DAY'Delightful' BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS'A ray of sunshine . . . and such a great armchair escape' THE VILLAGE OBSERVERNoosa Heads, 1987: Newly divorced Cynthia has returned to her hometown from Los Angeles to reconnect with her 19-year-old daughter, who is pregnant and determined not to listen to her mother's advice. Cynthia's former best friend, Lorraine, has been stuck mowing lawns as part of a business she shares with her husband - his dream, not hers. When Cynthia convinces Lorraine to join the local Sunshine Gardening Society, they meet young widow Elizabeth, and rootless, heartbroken Kathy.The four women soon discover the society is much more than an opportunity to chat about flowers. Rather, it offers them the chance to lend a helping hand to people whose lives need a bit of care and attention, right along with their gardens.Between pulling up weeds and planting natives, the women learn from each other that some roots go deep, and others shallow; that seeds can lie dormant for a long time before they spring to life, and that careful tending is the key to lives and friendships that reach their full potential.'An enjoyable and heartwarming read' ABC GARDENING AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE'If you love gardening, then you're going to love Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society. This is a compassionately written story full of joy and hope' YOUR TIME MAGAZINE'Sophie Green's stories are a comfort as warm as the Noosa sun and the embrace of a true friend' LIVING ARTS CANBERRA'Atmospheric and incredibly descriptive writing . . . A must-read for anyone looking for a heartwarming story filled with great music and small-town charm' 7WEEKENDER'Wonderful . . . A pleasure to read, offering a new perspective on life' GYMPIE TODAY

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Green, Sophie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Green, Sophie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Green, Sophie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

The Bellbird River Country Choir

Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society

The Bellbird River Country Choir

Art Hour at the Duchess Hotel

Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society