A Wise And Clever Tale About Community: Read Our Review of Head for the Hills by Tricia Stringer

Will anything ever be the same again?

 Margot and her sister Roslyn have lived side by side in a little town in the Adelaide Hills most of their lives, supporting each other through thick and thin. Then their neighbour Gunter dies. 

Surprisingly, his will asks that his house and vineyard be sold and that Roslyn donate the money to a charity of her choice. When a developer wants to buy the land and create a hotel just over Margot’s fence, Margot is outraged and decides to stand for Mayor and fight the development. But Roslyn feels differently. Her awareness of family violence and homelessness is sparked by the arrival in town of a young pregnant woman, who is escaping abuse and sleeping in her car. Determined to do some good, Roslyn supports the sale – she has found her charitable cause and the money will go to the homeless.

Suddenly the sisters are on opposite sides of the fence, literally and figuratively. As the row heats up, their local community is divided between those pro-development and those against, and battle lines are drawn, neighbours eyeing each other angrily either side. As vandalism erupts, bitter words are hurled and pots are stirred. Will the town – and the sisters – ever recover their community spirit? Will anything ever be the same again?

 Tricia Stringer is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author. Her books include Back on Track, Keeping Up Appearances, Birds of a Feather, The Family Inheritance, The Model Wife, Table for Eight, seven rural romances and a historical saga set in the unforgiving landscape of nineteenth-century Flinders Ranges.

Stringer 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 on the traditional lands of the Narungga people, 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.

When Stringer pens a new novel, I know I’m in for a good time! And Head for the Hills does not disappoint. Stringer has an amazing talent for creating iconic and interesting characters. With our main two sisters, Margot and Roslyn, we’re introduced to a very humorous and complex dynamic. They love each other, but they can’t help but be divided by what has happened to Guntur’s homestead. It’s realistic, it’s heart-warming, and most of all, it makes you want to read and read until you reach the very last page.

Head for the Hills is perfectly paced. Stringer’s writing is like a cinnamon tea cake, it’s sweet, leaves a nice taste in your mouth once it’s over, and you can’t help but want another slice. I also fell in love with Margot and Roslyn’s neighbourhood in the Adelaide Hills. By the time I had finished, it felt like I had actually been there, amongst the hubbub, gossiping about what’s been happening. Stringer doesn’t just tell a story; she puts you into the experience. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh (a lot), and you’ll be on the edge of your seat when you reach the impeccable latter half of the book.

Community spirit is a key theme within Head for the Hills. Trust me, you’ll feel this theme throughout and Stringer has done an impressive job at making it feel fresh and new. We watch the neighbourhood through their highest highs and lowest lows, and these moments are what stayed with me even after I had finished reading. There’s a sense of wisdom with Stringer’s words. People make mistakes. Everyone needs help. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. These are only some of the teachings I uncovered when reading Head for the Hills. It’s witty, it’s fun and it’s full of warmth. I cannot get enough of the wild ride that is this brilliant book!

Buy a copy of Head for the Hills here.