'Can its determined inhabitants save an endangered country town? Three different writers tell the stories of the people of Mindalby, a vibrant community threatened with extinction when its cotton mill closes.' (Publication summary)
'When crisis counsellor Morgan Harris returns to his home town of Mindalby after the town's cotton mill closes, he has a hard time breaking through the townsfolk's tough exterior and getting them to accept the help that he is offering. Mental health services are few and far between out in the bush, and Morgan has to fight ingrained prejudices before he will really be able to engage with the people who need him the most.
'However, he has no problems engaging with Hannah Burton, the younger sister of his high school best friend. Their attraction is instant and insistent, and very inconvenient. Morgan is here to work, and Hannah is fighting battles of her own – trying to save the family farm from going under in the face of the mill's closure.
'Mindalby, a small town, a community, a home. But when the mill that supports the local cotton farmers and employs many of the town's residents closes unexpectedly, old tensions are exposed and new rifts develop. Everyone is affected and some react better than others, but one thing is certain: living on the edge of the outback means they have to survive together, or let their town die.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
'Callie has been the IT manager at the Mindalby cotton mill for all of her adult working life, and when it closes down, she realises that she has let everything else slide – including her own dreams. Seizing on the closure as a sign, she decides to open up a craft and quilting shop in town, pursuing her own interests and hobbies and taking a risk for the first time since her husband ran off with her best friend.
'Helping her every step of the way is Nathan, her best friend's ex–husband and the man that Callie could never have. Suddenly, Nate seems to be everywhere, sharing this adventure, offering her a hand. But Callie has been burned before. Is she able to learn to trust her heart again?
'Mindalby, a small town, a community, a home. But when the mill that supports the local cotton farmers and employs many of the town's residents closes unexpectedly, old tensions are exposed and new rifts develop. Everyone is affected and some react better than others, but one thing is certain: living on the edge of the outback means they have to survive together, or let their town die.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
'Rachael, a successful lawyer in Sydney, returns to her foster family and the only place that ever felt like home: Mindalby, to help with the failing family business, the town's bakery. With the cotton mill's closure, all businesses are struggling, and it looks like the only option is to close up the bakery and hope to sell. But when Rachael returns, she realises that her skills give her other options: refreshing and revitalising the bakery and a chance to rekindle her love of baking.
'Irishman, Mike O'Malley is a staying kind of man, looking to settle down in Mindalby with a woman who loves the wild country and wants to get involved in the community. Rachael is not that girl, but the attraction is hard to deny. Determined to show Rachael that Mindalby can be a home, he draws her out into the community and deeper into his life. But when it comes time to make a decision, can he trust Rachael to risk her heart?
'Mindalby, a small town, a community, a home. But when the mill that supports the local cotton farmers and employs many of the town's residents closes unexpectedly, old tensions are exposed and new rifts develop. Everyone is affected and some react better than others, but one thing is certain: living on the edge of the outback means they have to survive together, or let their town die.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
