Why we love it: Fiona Lowe draws us into a world of deception, betrayal, and family secrets. From the moment you open this book until the last page, you’ll be swept up in the obstacles, heartache, and twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Daughter of Mine is a great read that will engross you.
Harriet has the perfect life – a successful career as a doctor, an attractive husband who loves her, a daughter who excels in everything she puts her mind to as she follows Harriett’s footsteps, and a mansion that everyone envies. Everything she does is motivated by the lessons of her father: to take pride in improving her family’s image and name.
Xara, the middle child, has always lived in her older sister’s shadow. Married to a sheep farmer, caring full time for her daughter with severe cerebral palsy and twin boys with too much energy, her life falls short to her sisters’ standards of perfection and prestige.
Georgie, the youngest sister and the only one to leave Billawarra and the family name, moved to Melbourne to become a teacher – but is she really happy? Still suffering with the emotional pain of losing a baby, Georgie has given up on her dream life.
But after the death of their father, the three sisters are left alone with their mother who has a strained bond with each of them. Despite this, they come together to throw her a milestone party just like their father use too. Little do they know, when their mother Edwina turns up with a man, looking happier than she’s ever been, that their lives will be thrown into scandal . . .
Daughter of Mine is a fast-paced, easy read; it’s an emotional roller coaster with flawed characters you can’t help but grow to love. From the moment you pick up Daughter of Mine, you will be thrust into every deception and secret imagined and it’s written in such a way that the outrage of each dishonesty jumps off the page. Criminal accusations, lost children, daughter’s in crisis – oh my! There’s not much missing from this novel in ways of scandal.
To make things even better, each character is raw and incredibly realistic. The Chirnwell family will draw you in, from the distant emotionless mother, the hot PE teacher, and the man who stirs up the past, to the three sisters who each suffer and strive in their own unique ways. This is not a book you can leave for more than one sitting as once you are let into the family’s world.
There is a something satisfying in reading about a dysfunctional family with such high expectations, who crumble and rebuild themselves. While you will want to scream at some of their decisions along the way, the ending is a fantastic reward and you will feel proud of what the characters went through to get there.
Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker – an ideal career path for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RUBY award, Fiona’s books are set in small country towns, feature real people facing difficult choices and explore how family ties and relationships impact our decisions. Fiona spent her early years in Papua New Guinea where, without television, reading was her best form of entertainment – inevitably leading to a lifelong love of books. Daughter of Mine is Fiona’s 28th novel. Fiona Lowe lives in Western Victoria. Visit www.fionalowe.com
Click here to purchase a copy, read the first chapter, or watch the book trailer!
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