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Joyday for Jodi
Australian outback story
- GenresRomance
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 1971
29 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Walker
104 books27 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Lucy Walker (1907–1987) was the most famous of a few pseudonyms used by Dorothy Lucie Sanders (née McClemans). She was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 4 May 1907. Her father was of Irish stock, a minister of the Church of England. Her mother was from New Zealand. Dorothy began writing at an early age, despite her father’s scepticism about her ability.
A qualified teacher from Perth College (1928), she taught in state schools in Western Australia until 1936. She continued teaching later in London while her husband, a fellow school teacher whom she married in 1936, completed his doctorate in education.
They returned to Perth, Australia in 1938 but Dorothy Lucie Sanders only began her writing in 1945, producing articles, short stories, and later novels. In 1948 her first novel, Fairies on the Doorstep, was published.
As Lucy Walker, she wrote about 39 romance books:
Fairies On the Doorstep (1948)
Who Leaves the Crowd (1952)
The One Who Kisses (1954)
Sweet and Faraway (1955)
Come Home Dear (1956)
Heaven is Here (1957)
Master of Ransome (1958)
Kingdom of the heart (1959)
The Stranger from the North (1959)
Love in a Cloud (1960)
The Loving Heart (1960)
The Moonshiner (1961)
Wife to Order (1961)
The Distant Hills (1962)
Down in the Forest (1962)
The Call of the Pines (1963)
Follow Your Star (1963)
The Man from Outback (1964)
Reaching for the Stars (1964)
A Man Called Masters (1965)
The Other Girl (1965)
The Ranger in the Hills (1966)
The River Is Down (1967)
Home at Sundown (1968)
The Gone-Away Man (1969)
Shining River (1969)
Six for Heaven (1969)
Joyday for Jodi (1971)
The Bell Branch (1971)
The Mountain That Went to the Sea (1971)
Ribbons In Her Hair (1972)
Pepper Tree Bay (1972)
Pool of Dreams (1973)
Girl Alone (1973)
Monday in Summer (1973)
Runaway Girl (1975)
Gamma's Girl (1977)
So Much Love (1977)
These romance novels were very successful in Australia and overseas. The stories were meticulously researched; the writer travelled extensively in the Western Australian outback, recording details of scenery, personalities and social customs in her notebooks and diaries.
Other pseudonyms used by this author: Shelley Dean, Dorothy Lucie Sanders, and Lucy Walker.
Dorothy Lucie Sanders was widowed in 1986 and died the following year. Her daughter and two sons survived her.
Lucy Walker (1907–1987) was the most famous of a few pseudonyms used by Dorothy Lucie Sanders (née McClemans). She was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 4 May 1907. Her father was of Irish stock, a minister of the Church of England. Her mother was from New Zealand. Dorothy began writing at an early age, despite her father’s scepticism about her ability.
A qualified teacher from Perth College (1928), she taught in state schools in Western Australia until 1936. She continued teaching later in London while her husband, a fellow school teacher whom she married in 1936, completed his doctorate in education.
They returned to Perth, Australia in 1938 but Dorothy Lucie Sanders only began her writing in 1945, producing articles, short stories, and later novels. In 1948 her first novel, Fairies on the Doorstep, was published.
As Lucy Walker, she wrote about 39 romance books:
Fairies On the Doorstep (1948)
Who Leaves the Crowd (1952)
The One Who Kisses (1954)
Sweet and Faraway (1955)
Come Home Dear (1956)
Heaven is Here (1957)
Master of Ransome (1958)
Kingdom of the heart (1959)
The Stranger from the North (1959)
Love in a Cloud (1960)
The Loving Heart (1960)
The Moonshiner (1961)
Wife to Order (1961)
The Distant Hills (1962)
Down in the Forest (1962)
The Call of the Pines (1963)
Follow Your Star (1963)
The Man from Outback (1964)
Reaching for the Stars (1964)
A Man Called Masters (1965)
The Other Girl (1965)
The Ranger in the Hills (1966)
The River Is Down (1967)
Home at Sundown (1968)
The Gone-Away Man (1969)
Shining River (1969)
Six for Heaven (1969)
Joyday for Jodi (1971)
The Bell Branch (1971)
The Mountain That Went to the Sea (1971)
Ribbons In Her Hair (1972)
Pepper Tree Bay (1972)
Pool of Dreams (1973)
Girl Alone (1973)
Monday in Summer (1973)
Runaway Girl (1975)
Gamma's Girl (1977)
So Much Love (1977)
These romance novels were very successful in Australia and overseas. The stories were meticulously researched; the writer travelled extensively in the Western Australian outback, recording details of scenery, personalities and social customs in her notebooks and diaries.
Other pseudonyms used by this author: Shelley Dean, Dorothy Lucie Sanders, and Lucy Walker.
Dorothy Lucie Sanders was widowed in 1986 and died the following year. Her daughter and two sons survived her.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 21, 2025
Ignore the title - until the end when it will actually make sense! Instead, enjoy all the details of how people survive in the Outback after a devastating earthquake and flood. Lol It's not as bad as it sounds.
Heroine is a nurse, fresh off the boat from England. She's hoping to find her older brother who was adopted out to a couple in western Australia. Heroine was adopted by a couple in England when she was three. She remembers a brother, but not his name.
Hero is the "top man" in the district. He's a wealthy landowner and was elected by the town to manage everything until the new town is built in 18 months. He is being chased by a wealthy OW and his secretary. He doesn't notice because he's too jealous of his cousin who is helping the heroine find her brother.
There are fewer details about the heroine's nursing job in the makeshift town than the details of the tracker looking for a lost child in the wilderness. This is not a medical romance.
H/h's romance is not front and center until the very end, but it is a delightful scene with the h "sleeping out" on the veranda on a cool, starry night.
Heroine is a nurse, fresh off the boat from England. She's hoping to find her older brother who was adopted out to a couple in western Australia. Heroine was adopted by a couple in England when she was three. She remembers a brother, but not his name.
Hero is the "top man" in the district. He's a wealthy landowner and was elected by the town to manage everything until the new town is built in 18 months. He is being chased by a wealthy OW and his secretary. He doesn't notice because he's too jealous of his cousin who is helping the heroine find her brother.
There are fewer details about the heroine's nursing job in the makeshift town than the details of the tracker looking for a lost child in the wilderness. This is not a medical romance.
H/h's romance is not front and center until the very end, but it is a delightful scene with the h "sleeping out" on the veranda on a cool, starry night.
October 19, 2016
Sometimes it's fascinating reading an Australian Romance from the seventies. I never read this author but I'd heard of her. It was 1976 when I first started reading romance and I was more interested in overseas settings.
Jodi is a trained nursing sister, newly arrived in Perth, Australia. She is adopted and chose to come to Australia because her brother was adopted by an Australian couple. She picked up a friend, Carina on the boat out and they share digs while looking for work. Jodi has finally found a job she wants, nursing in a town that is rebuilding after a major flood, not very far from the Goldfields where she believes her brother may have settled with his new family twenty years ago.
The man interviewing her is Simon, a charming and flirtatious young man who becomes an instant friend. When she and Carina arrive in Tarrara, it is Alec Jardine, the man organising the rebuild who they have to impress. Carina, as secretary has an advantage, because she works closely with him whereas Jodi is based at the hospital.
They both received a shock when Annabelle, the local beauty and landed royalty makes an appearance and is obviously close to Alec.
This is a nice little story, very much selling the Australian aspect. Jodi is a nice girl under her efficient exterior, ready to make friends in this new environment. An enjoyable read.
Jodi is a trained nursing sister, newly arrived in Perth, Australia. She is adopted and chose to come to Australia because her brother was adopted by an Australian couple. She picked up a friend, Carina on the boat out and they share digs while looking for work. Jodi has finally found a job she wants, nursing in a town that is rebuilding after a major flood, not very far from the Goldfields where she believes her brother may have settled with his new family twenty years ago.
The man interviewing her is Simon, a charming and flirtatious young man who becomes an instant friend. When she and Carina arrive in Tarrara, it is Alec Jardine, the man organising the rebuild who they have to impress. Carina, as secretary has an advantage, because she works closely with him whereas Jodi is based at the hospital.
They both received a shock when Annabelle, the local beauty and landed royalty makes an appearance and is obviously close to Alec.
This is a nice little story, very much selling the Australian aspect. Jodi is a nice girl under her efficient exterior, ready to make friends in this new environment. An enjoyable read.
October 24, 2018
Terrible title, but enjoyable book. LW has a tendency to get drawn into the various stories of other characters for too long, but she does a romantic wrap up very well, and her H's never seem to be toxic or anything but seriously in love.
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November 19, 2022Joyday for Jodi is a rural romance by Lucy Walker. Nurse Jodi Dean leaves England for her new adventure in Australia, hoping to find her lost brother. On arrival in Australia, Jodi takes up a nursing position in Tarrara. However, the boss of Tarrara's redevelopment after the floods, Alec Jardine, doubted that Jodi could cope in this isolated rural setting. Will Jodi prove Alec wrong? The readers of Joyday for Jodi will continue to follow Jodi and Alex to discover what happens.
Joyday for Jodi was written in 1971 by Lucy Walker. I read the new Kindle Edition and could still imagine being part of the story and engaging with the characters. I love Lucy Walker's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Joyday for Jodi is well-written and researched by Lucy Walker. I like Lucy Walker's description of the sittings of Joyday for Jodi, which complimented the book's plot.
The readers of Joyday for Jodi will understand the isolation of rural Australia in 1971. Also, the readers will learn about the importance of family to adopted children.
I recommend this book.
Joyday for Jodi was written in 1971 by Lucy Walker. I read the new Kindle Edition and could still imagine being part of the story and engaging with the characters. I love Lucy Walker's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Joyday for Jodi is well-written and researched by Lucy Walker. I like Lucy Walker's description of the sittings of Joyday for Jodi, which complimented the book's plot.
The readers of Joyday for Jodi will understand the isolation of rural Australia in 1971. Also, the readers will learn about the importance of family to adopted children.
I recommend this book.
June 11, 2022
Another great Lucy Walker
Really lovely !! Don’t miss this one . Classic Lucy Walker with a beautiful outback story with a girl who has courage
Really lovely !! Don’t miss this one . Classic Lucy Walker with a beautiful outback story with a girl who has courage
December 31, 2024
Not my favorite Lucy Walker, but still sweet and charming.
August 30, 2020
Jodi is just another girl from the Lucy Walker template - a fresh face from England going to the Australian outback in search of life and love. The best guy in the outback falls for her, right as soon as he sets sight on her, but confesses only towards the last few pages.
In the mean time they face typical outback events - mustering, cattle sale, shearing, natural disasters, and so on. In most stories, there is also an accompanying girl in tow with the heroine. And of course the quintessential outback local girl OW who seems totally at ease with her surroundings and the hero.
In this story, Jodi is a nurse who comes in search of a long lost brother. The rest of the plot is simply true to type, as described above. The hero doesn't say much, but goes out of his way to please Jodi. The romantic buildup and confession of the last few pages was sweet.
Now, I have read so many of Lucy Walker's tales that I know exactly what to expect. And still pick up the next tale, with lip smacking anticipation.
That's the power of her evocative writing. And the simple but winding tale of love that she spins between the leads.
Jodi's tale is not as compelling as some of the author's other stories. But nevertheless , a calming and charming read.
In the mean time they face typical outback events - mustering, cattle sale, shearing, natural disasters, and so on. In most stories, there is also an accompanying girl in tow with the heroine. And of course the quintessential outback local girl OW who seems totally at ease with her surroundings and the hero.
In this story, Jodi is a nurse who comes in search of a long lost brother. The rest of the plot is simply true to type, as described above. The hero doesn't say much, but goes out of his way to please Jodi. The romantic buildup and confession of the last few pages was sweet.
Now, I have read so many of Lucy Walker's tales that I know exactly what to expect. And still pick up the next tale, with lip smacking anticipation.
That's the power of her evocative writing. And the simple but winding tale of love that she spins between the leads.
Jodi's tale is not as compelling as some of the author's other stories. But nevertheless , a calming and charming read.
October 6, 2017
Took me years to find a copy of this book. Finally found it last week.
Loved it but then again I like most of Lucy Walker's stories.
Loved the story and the anticipation. I love it when the "hero" is knocked off his feet when he first sees the "heroine", love at first site...... GOTTA LOVE IT. Very old fashioned by today's standards but that is what I like. I love the "AW" moments at the end of her stories.
Loved it but then again I like most of Lucy Walker's stories.
Loved the story and the anticipation. I love it when the "hero" is knocked off his feet when he first sees the "heroine", love at first site...... GOTTA LOVE IT. Very old fashioned by today's standards but that is what I like. I love the "AW" moments at the end of her stories.
February 14, 2023
Overly Sweet Romance
Lucy Walker wrote Joyday for Jodi in 1971 and should have stopped writing. Nothing in this story is interesting, nothing is worth keeping. I cannot recommend it to anyone.
Lucy Walker wrote Joyday for Jodi in 1971 and should have stopped writing. Nothing in this story is interesting, nothing is worth keeping. I cannot recommend it to anyone.
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December 13, 2022I was a fan of Lucy Walker when I was in my teens. I read all her books at the time and enjoyed all of her novels.
Good to see them back available for kindle.
Good to see them back available for kindle.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews