Silver Clouds
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley November 26, 2014
Author Fleur McDonald
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ISBN: 978-1-74237-483-3
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release Date:
Website: http://www.allenandunwin.com
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In Silver Clouds, Fleur McDonald shows her depth of understanding of tragedy and triumph in the telling Tessa’s story.
More than a romp through the great Australian bush this is a story of courage, healing, triumph and true love based in the vastness of the Australian dessert and one that will appeal to lovers of a great “yarn” told by a great teller of tales.
When Marketing Executive Tessa Mathison finally goes a little bit too far at a party in London living up to her party girl image, her Boss tells her to take some time out to get her life back on track.
Tessa is devastated when on top of making the single biggest mistake of her life, sleeping with the top exec of the rival Ad Agency, she gets the message that her beloved Aunt “Spider” has passed away on the station out on the Nullarbor plains she once called home.
She decides, with the encouragement of her Boss in London, to return to Danjar Plains for Spiders funeral. Dreading the emotions this is going to bring to the surface once again, Tessa somewhat unwillingly boards a plane for Perth.
Drinking to much to try and dull the pain caused by returning to her former home she arrives in Kalgoorlie in a pretty lack lustre state only to be met by a former friend and manager of the station next to Danjar Plains, Harrison Brooks, who is less than impressed by the emotional, hung over wreck of a woman he has to fly back to the station.
An unusual bequest in Spiders Will ensures Tessa will remain at the station for far longer than she anticipates and presents her with a challenge – a family mystery that needs to be solved.
As time goes on Tessa meets another charmer in neighbour Brendan McKenzie, who turns out to be less than she expected: she also decides Harrison Brooks is definitely more than she expected and perhaps, just perhaps he may be the man for her.
As she slowly unravels her families past she discovers her own past trauma starts to heal, bringing a long needed acceptance of the tragedy which occurred on Danjar Plains resulting in the death of her friend and school mate.
Tessa has to face some unpleasant truths about her friends, her life and her past but finally discovers that it is possible to heal, accept and be able to live and love again.