It’s possible I’m becoming an Australian author fangirl. Several of my favorite reads in the past few years, it recently dawned on me, are written by Australian authors. Two are set near an Australian coast just after World War II. Two others are set in different countries and different centuries. All are historical novels, masterfully written. They’re lush, lyrical, descriptive works that delve deep into the minds and hearts of their characters. They’re all a bit dark (one incredibly so) and a bit heartbreaking. One in particular made me sob so fiercely I had to pause reading to compose myself.

Is it simply a coincidence these four books captured my attention and lingered in my mind for months, even years, after I read them?

Or is there something unique in the way Australian authors approach fiction writing?

I don’t know the answer. But, I do have a profound urge to travel to the land down under and see if there is perhaps something in the water that cultivates such talent. I aspire to write books with such heart and soul and magic at these.

The following links will take you to my Goodreads reviews:

• The Railwayman’s Wife by Ashley Hay
• The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
• Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Click this link for a fabulous review by my friend and fellow writer Melissa Crytzer Fry.

• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent