Georgina returns with what promises to be her most accomplished work to date in "Summer Harvest" which has just been released by Penguin Books.
Summer Harvest revisits the general world Penney created in Fly In/Fly Out and its prequel Irrepressible You offering readers a glimpse into the gorgeous Margaret River region of Western Australia.
(image credit: Penguin Books Australia).
From the cover notes;
From the author of Fly In Fly Out comes this entertaining and touching story about family, friendship and love among the grapevines.
English dog trainer Beth Poole is having trouble getting her life back together after beating a life-threatening illness and divorcing her husband. When her Aussie-soap-obsessed grandma sends her to Australia to recover, it seems a great opportunity for some rest and relaxation while she figures out what's next.
But when Beth arrives in Australia things get off to a rocky start. To begin with, she's on the wrong coast and there are deadly creatures everywhere. And if that weren't enough, her neighbours are driving her crazy. She's staying in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, right next door to a family-owned vineyard. It should be perfect, but the boisterous Hardy clan just don't seem able to leave her alone. The usually reserved Beth is soon reluctantly embroiled in their family disputes and romantic entanglements. And eldest son Clayton Hardy is proving surprisingly persistent.
The more Beth gets to know Clayton and the Hardys, the more she sees what she wants for her future. But as the end of summer approaches, her past comes back to haunt her and will test her newfound relationships to the limit.
(image credit: Georgina Penney).
Taking characters that existed on the periphery in those previous stories and giving them their own chance to shine is something Georgina accomplishes with aplomb and Summer Harvest promises to deliver on that score. Strong, well drawn characters are a strength of her writing and you quickly come to identify with them. From the pre-reading I have done, Georgina also tackles serious issues of serious illness and divorce in this new work. Balancing those in the context of a romantic core narrative can be tricky but again, Georgina is no stranger to exploring heavier plot threads in her works and finding heart and soul in them.
Summer Harvest promises a reading banquet - offering delicious courses and robust accompaniments that will leave you filled and wiping your mouth with your fancy serviette and wondering if you can just fit in a little more.
Summer Harvest is out now.
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DFA.
