From bestselling author, Mary-Anne O’Connor comes an epic and lyrical tale of love, adventure and gambled fortunes that ranges from the wild cloaked woodlands of Ireland to the Victorian Alps of colonial Australia. For fans of Nicole Alexander, Colleen McCullough, and Fiona McIntosh.
1879: ‘Invisible’ Anne Brown fears she’ll never escape the harshness and poverty of her life in County Donegal, Ireland. Until, one heartbreaking Beltane night, her life is changed forever and she leaves to seek her fortune in far-flung Australia.
Upon the death of their father, charismatic Will Worthington and his beloved sister Mari are stunned to find he has left all their money and a ticket to the far shores of Australia to an enigmatic painted woman. It seems their only hope for a brighter future also lies in Australia, where together with Will’s best friend, the artist Charlie Turner, they seek their fortunes.
Charlie finds love with a mysterious exotic dancer, yet there is trouble on the horizon. His new friends up in the Victorian Alps might be teaching him to run with the wild horses and find his talent with a brush at last, but life in a bushranger gang is a dangerous game.
As Charlie struggles to break free from his fate, all four are left with impossible choices as fortunes waver between life and death, loyalty and the heart.
Where Fortune Lies is fabulous storytelling and a great Aussie yarn. Richly described settings transport the reader from Ireland and England to colonial Australia, and Melbourne, the Barossa wine region and the wild alpine region of the Victorian Alps. The era springs from the page with descriptions of the landscape, and the inclusion of brumbies (taking me back to my favourite childhood reads) and a band of bushrangers.
Mary-Anne always weaves multiple layers to her tales, and here is no different. A cast of complex and truly compelling characters reels you in and takes you on an absolutely riveting adventure. I was completely sold on this story from the start. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for anything to do with Beltane, and the early chapters that included Anne Brown, and a Beltane ‘celebration’ were captivating and heartbreaking.
The novel’s character’s all have their own important arcs that are ultimately connected, as they go in search of fortune, finding love, heartbreak and adventure on the way. Where Fortune Lies is as much a journey for the you the reader as the characters you’re reading about. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. You’ll be emotionally invested in this wonderful novel each page of the way.
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