Book Club: Daughter of Australia

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Author: Harmony Verna
ISBN: 9781760374075
RRP: $29.99

The blurb on the back of this book says:

In a stunning debut novel that evokes the epic scope of Colleen McCullough’s classic The Thorn Birds, Harmony Verna creates a poignant story of forbidden love and unwielding courage, set in Australia and America in the early decades of the twentieth century.

A comparison to The Thorn Birds, that’s some pretty big shoes to fill and some hefty expectations. Daughter of Australia is also a debut, which means no-one has any idea on this author’s work or what to expect.

I read an uncorrected proof copy which arrived on my desk a little while ago and I wanted to start it but I was also eagerly awaiting another epic Australian historical so ended up putting this one off. The decision to feature it as a book club title jumped it straight to the top of the pile, and I’m still itching to get my claws into the other historical; and leaves me wishing I had read it when it first arrived.

Western Australia is the background to much of this epic tale, and epic it really is. Beginning with the heartbreaking abandonment of a young girl by her father in the heat of the West Australian desert just before the turn of the 20th Century I knew that my heartstrings would be getting a workout in this one.

The young girl is discovered under a tree by passing miners, miraculously still breathing but only just. The miners detour from their planned route to get her help, finding a Doctor but no hospital in the nearest town. Trauma has silenced the girl, which doesn’t do her any favours as her physical wounds heal. Unable to discover anything about the foundling she is named after the town she is saved in, Leonora, and sent to an orphanage.

Now, at this point I know that Leonora is our heroine, she is going to be with us until the end. Her saviour though, I expected his part in the narrative to end with his handing her into the arms of the Doctor but that was not to be.

Daughter of Australia

Ghan is a miner who has done it tough, mining wasn’t a safe occupation and Ghan has the scars to prove it. Arms crisscrossed in scar tissue, a leg that drags, a missing ear and a face that has been the brunt of too many fists. He is so caught up in the ugliness of his body that even he doesn’t recognise the beauty of his kind soul. He heads back to his delivery after leaving Leonora with the Doctor but he can’t put her out of his head so he returns at his next opportunity.

Ghan is a hard and dedicated worker, he doesn’t know how not to be working so he finds himself following the work. His injuries create issues for him at times but he always manages to get just enough work to get by and throughout the narrative we pick up with him a couple of times and see what he’s up to.

Leonora is disadvantaged at the orphanage because many of the other orphans see her silence as weakness and use it to make her a victim. James, one of the other orphans, takes her under his wing and slowly they forge a friendship as he fights to protect her; until they are separated. Leonora is adopted by a wealthy American family and James is taken in by relatives who came from Ireland for him.

The story follows both Leonora and James as their lives take them in different directions, and separates them by continents. Neither of them find the life they dreamed of and both are plagued by heartbreak and hardships, though of totally different types.

The characterisation is interesting to say the least. Verna has written a wealth of different character types and they have all been written well. Australia at the turn of the 20th Century was an interesting time in history, with the rise and fall of mining, farming and the relations with the indigenous population. None of the characters are black and white, none are inherently good or inherently evil though there is one that was pretty irredeemable I thought.

From the very first time that we see her we know that Leonora is special, there is a light in her that touches all those around her. She is good, she is huge hearted and she wants to do good with her life but that isn’t always as easy to put into practice and she makes some questionable choices, though we can always see the justification for her choices and they were never lightly made.

I was kept guessing quite well in this one actually. I would think I had it picked, be sure I knew what was going to happen, and then that would be thrown right off the table and I would be left wondering if there would be a happy ever after.

There were some beautiful moments but there was also an awful lot of heartbreak and an emotional rollercoaster of just how bad things could get.

Daughter of Australia has an authenticity that surprised me and a believability I wasn’t sure I would find. Verna masterfully illustrates the massive divide between the wealthy and the poverty stricken and the hidden depths behind every appearance.

Surprisingly emotional and entertaining this is a convincing debut that will definitely have Verna finding fans ready to watch where her career takes her.

Thanks to Harlequin Mira 30 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members will be reading Daughter of Australia so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments.

Daughter of Australia is available now through Harlequin Australia, Angus and Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.

31 thoughts on “Book Club: Daughter of Australia

  1. A little girl left in the sweltering WA heat, a rough miner as her saviour and a doctor who doesn’t want the burden of a mute child….these are just some of the characters that hook you in as “Daughter of Australia” begins.

    Harmony Verna’s descriptive writing style ensures you are well entwined in the story and the thoughts and troubles of the many & varied characters in this 20th century epic.

    The abandoned girl, Leonora, is sent to an orphanage where she meets & befriends James. And from this moment, even though separated as she is sent to America, their lives seem destined to cross paths.

    Many heartbreaks befall both of them, it was quite an emotional journey. I enjoyed “Daughter of Australia” for it is set in a time in Australian history we’ve almost forgotten. Verna’s writing style lends itself to a olde worlde charm that makes you believe it really is the early 1900’s.

    The characters have you travelling their journey, sharing their experiences and willing their triumphs. This was quite a long, epic read but it was well worth the investment.

  2. This book is an epic tale of Australia from many years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from cover to cover.
    I think what piqued my interest the most was the unrelenting and often very sad tale about Australia in her early years.
    The book is about Western Australlia and its very harsh beauty but follows the lives of two people in particular, that have very humble beginnings and their struggle to keep true to themselves..
    This a beautiful tale about Leonora and James that are two orphans, their lives take very different roads and explains in vivd detail the pull of the Australian lifestyle.
    I was very impressed at how much detail went into the mines and the horrid conditions, that those workers were put through. It is also very detailed about how hard it was to be a farmer in those early days.
    This is a love story but also a bit of a history lesson.
    I completely loved the authors ability to really involve the reader and take you on a complete journey.
    If this was the authors first book, then she has a very bright future ahead.

  3. Where do you start doing a review of this book. Firstly, thanks go to Beauty and Lace for choosing me to do a review and a huge thank you to Harlequin for choosing to publish such a well written novel. Comparing this to “The Thorn Birds” is a big call, having read that book many years ago, it is without a doubt in my mind equally as good, if not better in bringing some of the characters into reality.
    Harmony Verna, has written a wonderful book, which I hope is picked up for a movie or TV rites, it is so worth it.
    The story line is set prior, during and after WWI, set in the harsh outback of Western Australia. The characters become your reality while you are absorb in reading. The beauty of the main characters
    Leo, James, Tom, Ghan, Owen, The Shelby’s (the good) Eleanor, Alex, Murphy, (the bad) is so real you can picture their faces, expressions, love, hate, fear,laughter, tears,sadness, and heartache.
    The story lines flows so easily, I read the book slowly so I could savour the words on each page. For the 2 weeks that it took me to read it became my reality.

  4. What an emotional rollercoaster this book took me on I loved it and could not put it down (read it in a day) the book was easy to read and the storyline was so real, the sadness of a baby left behind to be found and raised by another the harshness of the Australia that was and the rise through it all by the characters in the novel. I have not read the Thorn Birds but it is now on my list to read. I look forward to more novels by this amazing author

  5. Daughter of Australia is a long novel composed of very short chapters, very long chapters and all sizes in between. I found the style of writing to be a little heavier than my usual book choices, so it was a read that took a little more concentration for me and it wasn’t until I was halfway through the novel that I was hooked and not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed the novel, and found it somewhat more relatable as it was set mainly in Australia (despite being at the other end of Australia to where I have lived my whole life).

    The chapters alternated between the two main characters; James and Leonora until their paths crossed over and then any chapters involving them both would be told half from ones perspective and half from the other. I did really like them both as they were both kind hearted and thoughtful, though it was heart wrenching with what we had to “watch” them go through.

    The novel starts off with a series of heartbreaking events mainly for young innocent Leonora, which left me feeling helpless. Unfortunately this continues as the novel is clouded by negative events or nasty characters for a large majority for Leonora who only experiences short happy moments in-between her daily unhappy life. James is a little luckier as he has some kinder characters in his life and a kinder upbringing overall.

    There is also a third main character who narrates some chapters, and he pops in and out of the story. This characters is known as Ghan and is anonymous to James and Leonora, but he contributes to two separate significant moments in both their lives, and unbeknown to them his story crosses over theirs many times in smaller ways. I would have liked to have seen this part of the story tie up and come out as something more that would impact on the lives of all three towards the end.

    The ending was mostly happy (at least for the main characters) and the very end is what I loosely predicted throughout the story. However, before the final ending the story took a few unexpected twists which resulted in some shocking and sad moments, but made the read more enjoyable as it veered off the expected path.

    Overall this was a great first novel by Harmony Verna, and definitely worth the read.

  6. The story is set in Australia and America in the early decades of the twentieth century. A little girl dressed in rags is left for dead by her father but an old miner finds her and keeps her alive and brings her into the town to try and find a doctor, she is then taken to an orphanage where she does not communicate as she is traumatized from the ordeal. No one knows her name and she is given the name Leonora after the town where she has been taken. Leonora gradually builds a friendship with another orphan James and he looks out for her until they are both separated. Leonora is adopted by a wealthy American family and James to relatives who emigrate to Australia from Ireland to claim him.

    Years later, Leonora returns to Australia with her husband, Alex where she settles at Wanjarri Downs. Here she comes across James again, who has grown into a strong and resourceful man. Even though Leonora is married, there is still a very strong attraction to James, and she is committed to staying with her husband.

    A character that I found interesting was Ghan who was a fascinating man who would come and go throughout the story with one of his many jobs. You did not know when he would come back into the story but when he did I enjoyed reading about what he was up to next.

    The story goes through periods of love, despair, courage, riots and even war showing just how tough life could be in this era.
    I found the story easy to read, and thought I knew what the ending would be, but I was wrong, and really enjoyed how the story ended.

    A well written book by a debut novelist and I would definitely love to read any future books.

    Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harlequin Books for the opportunity to read this very captivating novel.

  7. I absolutely loved this beautifully written book and would highly recommend it.

    The story opens with a punch with the heart rending abandonment of a small child under a tree in the blazing sun in an uninhabited area of Western Australia. In the nick of time she is rescued by a hardened miner known as Ghan, but the trauma of her experience has rendered her mute and so she comes to be known by the name of the mining town he takes her too – Leonora.

    Leonora is fortunate to be placed in a church orphanage with a minister who truly cares for the welfare of the children in his care. Here she meets James, another orphan, and slowly begins to speak again.

    James has Irish ancestry and is claimed by relatives who come to Australia to live and work the land. Leonora is adopted by a wealthy American couple and is taken to America after being trained out of her Australian beginnings

    The book follows the ups and downs of the two main characters, James and Leonora, their experiences after leaving the orphanage, the twists and turns of life that mean they meet again back in Australia, but under very different circumstances, and where life leads them. Periodically throughout the story Ghan reappears to add an unexpected interest and twist.

    I loved watching Leonora grow from a traumatized child, to a strong, resourceful and kindhearted woman. Her interaction with the Aborgines who live and work the land she lives on in Australia, is inspirational, without at any level being patronizing.

    This is a debut novel for Harmony Verna, and I look forward to reading her future works.

  8. What an amazing book that I was very grateful to be able to review.
    The book takes you through a range of different emotions and really hooks you in. There’s love and hope, struggle and strength.
    I found each character memorable and easy to love so the story was easy to follow.
    It was an absolute privilege watching Leonora grow from a child who had been through so much trauma to such a strong lady.
    I don’t want to give the plot away but please, if you can read this book, you won’t regret it. It’s hard to believe this was a debut novel.

  9. I really enjoyed this book, and was impressed to find it was a debut novel. The author writes with confidence and experience. I did find the start a little slow to get going, and the end a little cliché for my taste, but the middle section of character and plot development I thoroughly enjoyed. I read this while traveling overseas and it was wonderful to imagine those tastes, sights and smells of outback Australia. I also liked the references to the plight of Australian families through war and through hardship, as well as interactions with indigenous people. The characters are realistic and relatable, and really got me invested into their stories.

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