From bestselling author Jackie French comes a book about the secrets we carry, those that we unearth – and those that are too dangerous to tell.
The once impoverished medical student Agnes Glock is now the fabulously wealthy Mrs Mulberry. Her estate in the mountains is magnificent, a haven for those too ravaged by the Great War to cope with the society that first condemned them to battle and which now shuns them.
The War has, however, stolen Agnes’s chance to graduate as a doctor, as well as the fiancé she adored. Her husband, Douglas Mulberry, remains shellshocked and unable to speak. Their scandalous marriage is a farce, an act of kindness to keep Douglas’ fortune from his uncle’s grasp.
A chance visit to a circus brings about a mystery in the form of a fairylike child whose guardians claim was brought up by dingoes. The child cannot speak and seems deformed. But Agnes is inexplicably drawn to her and believes she can be cured.
The decision to save the child will bring Agnes’ lost fiancé into her life again, as well as awaken the love of her husband who finds his voice as the three try to solve the mystery of the ‘dingo girl’.
Agnes has put aside her own life and the dreams she once had. But now she has choices, with the main question the hardest: Who is Mrs Agnes Mulberry?
Jackie French writes across multiple genres, including her phenomenally successful children’s books. Her books have sold millions of copies and won over 60 awards in Australia and internationally. Her latest novel, Becoming Mrs Mulberry, is a glorious historical that showcases her writing and storytelling genius.
This captivating tale of kindness, compassion and sacrifice is the most enjoyable historical I’ve read for a long time (and I read a lot of good historical novels). As always, French has weaved a grand tale from historical fact, with the inspiration for this is explained in the author notes. But this exquisite novel has something extra to it – it lulled me in and I savoured every page, not wanting it to end.
Agnes Glock is studying medicine in Edinburgh when her friend Hortense Mulberry, known as Puddin’, asks for a favour. Her brother has returned from war a shell of a man, and their uncle wants to have him committed so he can take over the family fortune. Agnes, mourning a fiancé presumed dead, agrees and the story opens with her as the new Mrs Mulberry, at her grand estate back in Australia.
We’re immediately drawn into this world through vivid descriptions, French’s polished prose and some amusing wombat action – for what is a Jackie French book without her beloved wombats. There is a colour cast of characters across an inclusive spectrum, which is unusual for a historical. But this is the beauty of this tale; it’s delightfully quirky, with gorgeously crafted characters and richly depicted settings.
At the heart of this is Mrs Mulberry herself, a standout character in recent Australian fiction, leading with her heart as she rescues those around her – particularly her husband and the dingo child.
With dingoes, wombats and other flora and fauna, this is a quintessentially Australian story. It’s a grand, magical tapestry of a tale that is impossible to put down.
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