Judy Nunn knows how to deliver a historical blockbuster. Black Sheep is Nunn’s hugely anticipated new novel. It’s a sweeping family saga about a prosperous sheep-farming family and the enigmatic young man they let into their lives. This is historical fiction at its best, pulling on the heartstrings whilst creating a vivid setting that transports us back to another era.
In Black Sheep, we follow the story of two friends brought together by fate and their shared secrets. The action moves from the Shearing Wars of Queensland to the exclusive gentlemen’s clubs of Sydney, Melbourne and London; from the woolsheds of Goulburn to the trenches of the Western Front. Nunn weaves place through this story like she’s sitting right there on the doorstep of history herself. Into these meticulously crafted eras she introduces her main characters, as well as a cast of extras who are as well-rounded as their leads.
Orphaned at sixteen, James Wakefield was determined to be a gun shearer just like his dad. Only his path is not a smooth one; he’s killed twice, changed his name and ended up on the run from the law. But fate steps in in the form of Ben McKinnon, heir to the vast Glenfinnan sheep property near Goulburn. Ben has a secret of his own, one that would shatter the privileged lives of his father and sisters if it were to come out. These two form an unlikely yet powerful friendship and become the keeper of each other’s secret.
When Ben takes his friend back to his family’s sheep station, the drama and intrigue builds as the family saga plays out. Has James finally found the family he’s always longed for? Or has the McKinnon dynasty unwittingly adopted a black sheep?
Nunn’s career has been as multifaceted as the novels she began writing back in the ‘90s, after many successful years as an actor and scriptwriter. She’s a master at bringing Australian history to life. Nunn excels at merging fact with fiction, evident in her long list of previous bestsellers such as Showtime!, Khaki Town and Spirits of the Ghan. All of these deliver a pitch-perfect combination of page-turning drama, relatable characters, and real historical events.
Nunn says that while her latest release, Black Sheep, is ostensibly about the breeding of fine Merino sheep, it’s really more about the genetic strains of those humans who are breeding them. It’s a ‘good seed, bad seed’ story set on a sheep station but with a big twist – and we are all there for it! Nunn once again shows why she’s considered one of Australia’s great storytellers.
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