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Restless Dolly Maunder

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About this listen

 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024
A DAILY MAIL NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023
LONGLISTED FOR BEST FICTION IN THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS AUSTRALIA 2024

Born into the sweat and drudgery of a New South Wales sheep farm at the end of the 19th century, Dolly Maunder is different to her siblings. She will not endure the small, servile existence of a wife. Dolly, bright, ambitious and stubborn, dreams of a different fate, of building something that she truly owns.

She will do whatever it takes to be the woman she deserves to be. Even with a husband and children, Dolly pushes the boundaries of what is ‘proper’ and what a wife and mother ought to do, as war spreads across Europe and the rules are forever changed. But every life has its limits. What happens when Dolly’s wanderlust finally risks taking her too far?The non-fiction version of Dolly's story is also available on Audible: Always Greener: The Restless Life of Dolly Russell here.©2024 Kate Grenville (P)2024 Canongate Books Ltd Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Small Town & Rural

Critic reviews

'Vivid and memorable . . . [Kate Grenville] offers us the ambivalence and complex textures of experience without losing the rhythm and pace of realist fiction' (SARAH MOSS)
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Beautifully narrated telling of a woman's life in early to mid 20th century Australia: her personal ambitions, her thwarted dreams, her resilience, her stubbornness, her emotional inadequacy; someone fighting, somewhat unsuccessfully, the yoke of social expectation and conditioning, until the wheel comes full circle. A book written with realism and thoughtfully and graphically presented. Excellent imo.

the conflicted character that was Folly Maunder: a woman of her time

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Enjoyable listen - interesting to read a family saga from the Australian pov instead of European or American

Enjoyable Australian family saga

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An admirer of Kate Greenville’s novels, I looked forward to this. The novel did not disappoint - the story of a woman whose lifespan coincided with a gradual shift in women’s place in the world.
The voice of the reader was an excellent choice. It was easy to listen to and convincingly brought the various characters to life.
This was a very satisfying listen.

Beautifully read novel.

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An honest story of a women’s experience throughout her lifetime and the complexity of life and love. Wonderful narration that gave the book life. I would listen to more things by this narrator just to hear her, so much better than some that sound like robots.

Great story and great narration

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Amazingly written and performed. Well worth a listen to make you think about your own family generations from a different perspective. Particularly loved the complexity of Dolly.

Fascinating book

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