The Lupin Fields by Heather Reyburn is a wonderful story of a farming family. Their property, Fantail Ridge, is set in a very scenic area of New Zealand.
1966. Dawn Burton, a 20 year old city hairdresser, is now Mrs John Simpson, the wife of a farmer.
John works with his parents on their farm. The property next door has been purchased to increase the earning capacity of the farm as it now needs to support two families.
Dawn knows very little about farming, or the role of a farmer’s wife and has even less knowledge of animals! Her mother had a gardener, a house cleaner and bought meat nicely wrapped from the butcher.
Her first view of her new home shocks her. It is a weatherboard cottage perched in the middle of an empty paddock.
She questions her decision to marry this kind, gentle farmer. She thought farmers were wealthy!
Dawn worries that their love is new and fragile might not survive.
Dawn hasn’t had a great childhood. Her mother Lillian is a very negative person, and her father died when she was a baby. Dawn realises that she too is only looking for the negative in everything when instead she should be looking to the positive.
John’s parents, Alice and Harry live next door. They’re wonderful and welcoming to Dawn. Although, John’s two older brothers have left the farm, they and their wives and children are frequent visitors. Dawn, as an only child has always wanted to be part of a large family.
With Dawn’s changed attitude, she notices the spectacular views and the beautiful lupin flowers she helped plant bring her colour and joy.
This is the story of John and Dawn’s lives over the next ten years. The happy and the sad times, the challenges they face as they write their chapter in the history of Fantail Ridge.
It is a wonderful story of family, love, country life, community, hard work and challenges. The characters are lovely, and the writing style is so easy to read. You feel like you are there with the family.
This is the second book in a set of three. You don’t have to have read book one, Peninsula Promises, to enjoy this story. Although, it would give you a lot of background and understanding of Alice and Harry’s lives, and John’s childhood.
I loved the lifestyle comparisons as the first book is set 30 years earlier. Alice’s contact with her family was letter-writing – at least Dawn has the phone and TV!
I can’t wait to read the third book, which is set in 2006!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful story.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Lupin Fields by Heather Reyburn. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
The Lupin Fields by Heather Reyburn is a continuation of the family saga that began with Peninsula Promises. In this second book of the Fantail Ridge series, Alice and Harry Simpson’s youngest son John brings his new bride and confirmed city girl Dawn, to the family farm…
As was the case in Peninsula Promises, the author’s love of animals, farming life, small town community and the New Zealand landscape once again shine through. And while it takes Dawn a little while to appreciate country life, by the end she has fully embraced it.
This is another charming and wholesome tale from Heather Reyburn, and was a perfect, cosy read for a rain drenched weekend. I look forward to reading the third and final book in the series.
I absolutely loved this book, and had read this prior to the 1st book, Peninsula Promises. Even though they are independent stories, it was good to understand the characters background, and how life at Fantail Ridge, came to be. Alice, the new bride of John, and very new to farm life, finds life very hard in the first years , but soon discovers gardening, and the joy the flowers and plants bring her.
As a couple they suffer heartbreaking losses, but their love remains steadfast.
The relationship Alice has with her in laws, is just lovely, and one full of mutual respect, far different to the relationship with her own mother,
As the years pass, we see how all of the characters grow, and evolve, especially Alice, as she finds her way in her new life, at Fantail Ridge.
I thoroughly enjoyed both books, and can’t wait to read book 3.
Thank you Beauty & Lace, and Heather Reyburn, for the opportunity to read this wonderful ebook.
The Lupin Fields is the second story in the Fantail Ridge series. I was happy to catch up with the Simpson family and read about John and Dawn and how their life goes day to day.
The Lupin Fields is the second book in the Fantail Ridge series by Heather Reyburn, following the continuing saga of the Simpson Family through Alice and Harry’s youngest son John and his wife Dawn. Set between 1966 and 1976 we see Alice and Harry now as ageing grandparents, George and Tim with families of their own, and John starting out his married life. With the story told from Dawn’s perspective we see a young, wealthy, city girl moving to her husbands’ family farm trying to deal with the cultural shock of leaving a comfortable city life her job as a hairdresser, to settle on a farm with her in-laws on site, animals and routines she knows nothing about. We watch John and Dawn go through the ups and downs of married life supporting each other all the way. We also watch Dawn grow in her confidence and understanding of farm life.
I am now very much looking forward to the third book in the trilogy The Scent of Promise.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Heather Reyburn for the opportunity to read this book
What a lovely story, second book in this series of three books
I love the character Dawn Burton she is wonderful, her new life in the country is certainly an eye opener for her, so different from the city life she is used to, her mother in law Alice is also a great character
Dawns marriage to John prospers and she does adapt to her new country life
No more spoilers
Looking forward to reading the next book
Thank-you Beauty & Lace for giving me the chance to read & review ‘The Lupin Fields’ an e-book by Heather Reyburn.
This is the second instalment about a family that is held together with ties of blood but also with friendships formed on Fantail Ridge, New Zealand. Dawn is introduced to the family as the new wife of John. Being originally from the city, farm life for Dawn is initially a huge adjustment, along with learning how to make a home and create friendships.
Over time, after both good and heart wrenching experiences Dawn begins to see that true happiness comes from within whilst sharing a wonderful community. The descriptions of the scenery in the book were enchanting, as were the characters, both old and new. Thank-you ‘Beauty & Lace Bookclub’ for the opportunity to read ‘The Lupin Fields’ an e-book by Heather Reyburn.
I really enjoyed reading The Lupin Fields by Heather Reyburn. I had read the first book in the Fantail Ridge series and thought it was a bit like a journal, with to me, no real storyline. The Lupin Fields was completely different with great characters who continued to develop over the course of the book and a great storyline. The descriptions of the landscape made me feel like I was there. I can’t wait to read the third instalment. Thank you Beauty and Lace for letting me review this book >:o)
Thank you so much for letting me read the second instalment in this 3 part series.
Heather Reyburn again wrote a fantastic novel that really pulled me in.
It was lovely to see how far some characters had come and meeting new characters that I fell in love with.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read these amazing books. I absolutely loved Peninsula Promises so wasn’t at all surprised when I was hooked instantly on The Lupin Fields.
Heather Reyburn has a knack for reeling the reader in hook, line and sinker!
Highly recommend