Fairvale Ladies Book Club

Fairvale, a cattle station out of Katherine in the Northern Territory was a  property owned by Joe and Sybil Baxter who worked the station with the aid of their son, Ben, and his English born wife, Kate, plus additional full time and part time staff, primarily members of local Aboriginal communities.

When Sybil decided to start an occasional book club she invited Della (an American working on a neighbouring property), Rita (a long time nursing friend living in Alice Springs and working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service), and Sallyanne (a mother of three young children living in Katherine and a member of the CWA where she met Sybil) plus Kate to join. Due to distance and the extreme seasons experienced in the Northern Territory it was decided that they would try and meet at the beginning and end of the Dry Season.

The book club proved to be not only a place where the women could discuss books but also offered the opportunity for friendship among the five women helping to reduce the loneliness which often occurred when living in isolated area. Gradually the reader, as well as the book club members, learn more about the lives, past and present, of each book club member and the challenges they face. Racial discrimination is also a sub-plot.

This book is primarily about friendship as the women learn that when times are tough support is readily available and they are not alone.