About Tricia Stringer:

Tricia Stringer is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author. Her books include The Model Wife, Table for Eight, and the rural romances Queen of the Road, Right as Rain, Riverboat Point, Between the Vines, A Chance of Stormy Weather, Come Rain or Shine and Something in the Wine. She has also published a historical saga; Heart of the Country, Dust on the Horizon and Jewel in the North are set in the unforgiving landscape of nineteenth-century Flinders Ranges.

Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities, as owner of a post office and bookshop, as a teacher and librarian, and now as a full-time writer. She lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region with her husband Daryl, travelling and exploring Australia’s diverse communities and landscapes, and sharing her passion for the country and its people through her authentic stories and their vivid characters.

For further information go to triciastringer.com or connect with Tricia on Facebook or Twitter @tricia_stringer

Buy a copy of The Model Wife here. // Read a review of The Model Wife here. 

Summer Reading List

Summer is in full swing and I hope that means some relaxing time at the beach, on your verandah, sprawled on the grass or wherever it is that you love to read. I’ve revisited my own reading list to make a variety of suggestions for books for you to enjoy on those lazy days. Here’s to summer and putting your feet up with a chilled drink and a really good book!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – Eleanor is a loner whose life begins to change after a chance meeting with a stranger. This book was tragic and warm and wise and eccentric. I felt joy and sorrow but most of all I was enthralled by Eleanor who stayed with me long after the final page. A book about friendship and the importance of making connections.

Taking Tom Murray Home by Tim Slee – The Aussie battler against the bureaucracy, this book reminded me of The Castle. A crazy cast of characters thrown together in a strange situation. I felt as if I was on every step of their unusual journey. I laughed with the characters and cried with them. A thought-provoking story about the power of love and community.

Home at Last by Meredith Appleyard – There’s nothing more Australian than The Flying Doctor and this story set in Broken Hill brings the remote regions alive. Central to the story are pilot Anna, a fiercely independent single mum, and Nick, a flight nurse with some baggage of his own. This is a great rural romance, spiked with warmth, humour and drama as the characters grapple with their personal lives while dealing with medical emergencies and the issues of remote living.

Heaven Sent by Alan Carter – I love Australian police procedurals and always enjoy Alan Carter’s Cato Kwong books. This is Carter’s fourth starring Kwong but it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the previous books. This one is set in Fremantle where Kwong investigates a series of murders and begins to realise the deaths are becoming personal. Nail-biting to the end!

The Giver of Stars by Jo Jo Moyes – Set in Kentucky during the Depression, this is the story of five amazing, smart, strong women who take on the mission of providing a library service via horseback in their remote community. There are many obstacles for them to overcome in this sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyful tale but as they each forged their own path, encountering racism, chauvinism, old feuds and suspicions, I couldn’t help but be taken on the ride with them. A great historical read with characters you won’t easily forget.

Cry of the Firebird by TM Clark – TM Clark’s stories are gripping adventures set in South Africa. I look forward to her new book each December and this one didn’t disappoint. An action-packed compelling page turner in an amazing setting with no holds barred on the intrigue.

Becoming by Michelle Obama – I listened to Michelle narrate her story, so she travelled with me over a couple of weeks and when the book was finished I felt like I’d lost a friend. This remarkable memoir takes us from Michelle’s childhood on the South Side of Chicago, through her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, and on to her time spent in the White House. This was a compelling, surprising and moving book that I found deeply inspirational.