Cirrus@Austlit

'Unleashing the Power of Nature, Rediscovering Love, and Confronting Convict Violence on the Banks of Australia’s Hawkesbury River.

'For Jess Walsh, tending to the inn at Wiseman's Ferry alongside her husband is a journey of coming to terms with the mighty Hawkesbury River. It draws travellers to their doorstep, for the ferry they operate is the sole lifeline for supplies and convict teams embarking on the engineering marvel of its colonial era, the Great North Road. Having experienced life as an ex-convict herself, Jess, with her striking daughter Deirdre by her side, sees the riverside as home. Her biggest dilemma revolves around Deirdre's future – should she wed the skilled stonemason, Gerry Riordan, and venture to distant Sydney Town? Solomon Wiseman, the inn owner, who presides over the hamlet with his grand house and gardens, relies on the Walshs to provide sustenance for the travellers on the Road. These provisions are collected under the command of Lieutenant William Dodds, with whom Jess frequently clashes. He embodies the very class that unjustly exiled her to Australia two decades ago – the powerful and oppressive ruling elite. While the river bestows good fortune, it can also bring disaster and devastation, and the dense bush surrounding Wiseman's Ferry conceals desperate souls. In 1831, tragedy strikes perilously close to Jess, turning the once-beloved river into a formidable adversary. Just as Jess begins to realize her truest ally, violence once again plunges her life into uncertainty, intermingling it with the fate of William Dodds. But peace eventually returns to Wiseman's Ferry, revealing the agonizing reasons behind her father's bankruptcy and the family's turmoil, instigated by someone Jess holds dear. This is a compelling narrative of a woman's unwavering determination, the relentless power of nature, and love's blossoming amidst the untamed grandeur of the New South Wales landscape, all unfolding alongside the majestic and tempestuous Hawkesbury River.' (Publication summary)