An avid reader from childhood, Paula J Beavan grew up on a small property in the Hunter Valley, riding horses, mustering cattle and listening to the tales of local farriers, cattlemen and farmers. Her love of the land and its history together with a curiosity about the challenges faced by the pioneering women of the region led her to seek out stories of the area's early European settlers. Serendipitously, she discovered a family connection to William Harpur, local landowner and one of Australia's early surveyors. Inspired by this connection, she delved deeper to discover when William Harpur lost his sight, his wife Catherine managed their Hunter River property - a perfect illustration of the women she writes about.