Cirrus@Austlit

'It’s a marvellous collection of inspiring stories from some of Australia’s most soul-stirring women; an eye-opening window into astonishing lives built on strength of character and an independent spirit.

'From medical professionals who achieved astonishing success with ground-breaking methods, to a celebrated nurse who survived the horrors of a World War II prison camp, Elizabeth Fysh takes the fortunate reader on a fascinating journey.

'The subjects are exceptional people and include the woman who created Australia’s first luxury hotel, the pioneer anthropologist who recorded the lives of the Wik people in Cape York, and the journalist who was at the centre of intrigue between the two World Wars. There’s the mystery of the celebrated decorator whose brutal murder was never solved, the travails of the hardy Outback stockwoman immortalised in a Slim Dusty hit, and so many more eye-opening accounts of remarkable women with unbreakable mettle.' (Publication summary)