Book Report: The Washer Woman's Dream

Australia is a country with a rich history full of interesting people and events. For those of you who read my own book and enjoyed it, I'd like to now begin leading you gently a little deeper - and recommend some of the Australian books I've read and found simply wonderful.

So I'm going to start writing some "book reports" (laughing at how I used to HATE doing this as a kid in school, and now I can't WAIT to share...). I'll give you enough information so that you can find it (generally Amazon.com is a good source, although you may have to go to "resellers" to actually get a copy, as with this first book I'm going to tell you about). I'll tell you a little about the book and why I liked it.

We'll begin with this one: The Washerwoman's Dream

This is non-fiction, a beautifully-written biography about Winifred Steger - an extraordinary Australian woman.

It begins with her immigration from the UK with her father (her mother refused to leave the UK), and eventual settlement in New South Wales.

Her childhood was less than ideal, and life got worse when she married her first husband. He and his family made life so impossible for her that she walked away from everything, even leaving her four children behind, in order to survive.

She faced her life with great courage, eventually finding love and experiencing adventures which are lovingly told by author Hilarie Lindsay. If you like adventure stories and enjoy reading about strong women who prevail against the odds, then this is for you!

American readers are cautioned to look around a little for your copy. When first out, this paperback sold for about $40 in Australia, but seems to be available now for about $25. So, do look beyond your normal book sources to see if you can get it for a reasonable price (also, be aware that the book was released a second time - in 2007, I believe - with a different cover). The 2 well-known online booksellers that most US buyers would turn to don't seem to have the best price... shop around!