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Cold Blows the Wind
Hobart Town 1878 – a vibrant town drawing people from every corner of the earth where, with confidence and a flair for storytelling, a person can be whoever he or she wants. Almost.
Ellen Thompson is young, vivacious and unmarried, with a six-month-old baby. Despite her fierce attachment to her family, boisterous and unashamed of their convict origins, Ellen dreams of marriage and disappearing into the ranks of the respectable. Then she meets Harry Woods.
Harry, newly arrived in Hobart Town from Western Australia, has come to help his aging father, ‘the Old Man of the Mountain’ who for more than twenty years has guided climbers on Mount Wellington. Harry sees in Ellen a chance to remake his life.
But, in Hobart Town, the past is never far away, never truly forgotten. When the past collides with Ellen’s dreams, she is forced to confront everything in life a woman fears most.
Based on fact, Cold Blows the Wind is not a romance but it is a story of love – a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and, those most troublesome loves of all, for the men in her life. It is a story of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Ellen Thompson is young, vivacious and unmarried, with a six-month-old baby. Despite her fierce attachment to her family, boisterous and unashamed of their convict origins, Ellen dreams of marriage and disappearing into the ranks of the respectable. Then she meets Harry Woods.
Harry, newly arrived in Hobart Town from Western Australia, has come to help his aging father, ‘the Old Man of the Mountain’ who for more than twenty years has guided climbers on Mount Wellington. Harry sees in Ellen a chance to remake his life.
But, in Hobart Town, the past is never far away, never truly forgotten. When the past collides with Ellen’s dreams, she is forced to confront everything in life a woman fears most.
Based on fact, Cold Blows the Wind is not a romance but it is a story of love – a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and, those most troublesome loves of all, for the men in her life. It is a story of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2023
79 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Meyrick
4 books84 followersCatherine Meyrick is an Australian writer of romantic historical fiction. Her stories weave fictional characters into the gaps within the historical record – tales of ordinary people who are very much men and women of their time, yet in so many ways are like us today. These are people with the same hopes and longings as we have to find both love and their own place in a troubled world.
Catherine lives in Melbourne, Australia but grew up in Ballarat, a large regional city steeped in history. Until recently she worked as a customer service librarian at her local library. She has a Master of Arts in history and is also an obsessive genealogist. When she is not writing, reading and researching, she enjoys gardening, the cinema and music of all sorts from early music and classical to folk and country & western. And, not least, taking photos of the family cat to post on Instagram.
Catherine lives in Melbourne, Australia but grew up in Ballarat, a large regional city steeped in history. Until recently she worked as a customer service librarian at her local library. She has a Master of Arts in history and is also an obsessive genealogist. When she is not writing, reading and researching, she enjoys gardening, the cinema and music of all sorts from early music and classical to folk and country & western. And, not least, taking photos of the family cat to post on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 20, 2024
Cold Blows the Wind by Catherine Meyrick
Synopsis /
Hobart Town 1878 – a vibrant town drawing people from every corner of the earth where, with confidence and a flair for storytelling, a person can be whoever he or she wants. Almost.
Ellen Thompson is young, vivacious and unmarried, with a six-month-old baby. Despite her fierce attachment to her family, boisterous and unashamed of their convict origins, Ellen dreams of marriage and disappearing into the ranks of the respectable. Then she meets Harry Woods.
Harry, newly arrived in Hobart Town from Western Australia, has come to help his aging father, ‘the Old Man of the Mountain’ who for more than twenty years has guided climbers on Mount Wellington. Harry sees in Ellen a chance to remake his life.
But, in Hobart Town, the past is never far away, never truly forgotten. When the past collides with Ellen’s dreams, she is forced to confront everything in life a woman fears most.
Based on fact, Cold Blows the Wind is not a romance but it is a story of love – a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and, those most troublesome loves of all, for the men in her life. It is a story of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
My Thoughts /
One line review? Talk about throwing the reader a curve ball!
The setting: Hobart Town, Australia, 1878.
Up until 1 January 1856, the place we now know as Tasmania, was originally called Van Diemen’s Land. The name change was intended to separate the island from its history as a penal colony and to honour the island's discoverer, Abel Tasman. The name Van Diemen's Land had become associated with horror in England due to the harsh conditions of the island's convict settlements.
In Cold Blows the Wind, author, Catherine Meyrick, recounts the story of the Thompson family, or, more specifically, the story of our protagonist, Ellen Thompson. Ellen was a spirited young woman whose life revolved around the family unit, and, throughout the course of the story, the reader gets to experience life through Ellen’s eyes. As the daughter from an impoverished working class family, Ellen Thompson was no stranger to hard work for little reward. Meyrick tests Ellen’s character time and time again as she experiences betrayal, abandonment, poverty, rape, an unwanted pregnancy and the death of a child, as well as the death of loved ones. Yet Ellen emerges on the other side as an extremely resilient woman, whose mental and emotional strength in facing life’s challenges in times of adversity was truly inspiring.
In the beginning of the book the reader learns that Ellen has a young son, Billy, from a former relationship. She loves Billy fiercely, but yearns for a life that at the moment is nothing but a pipe dream – a loving husband and a stable father figure for Billy. Then she meets Harry Woods, who has arrived in Hobart from Perth to reconnect with his aging father and step-mother. On the face of it, Harry is polite and charming and definitely interested, but he’s a man who is holding secrets from his past and he’s unwilling to share them. Despite her family’s lingering doubts about Harry’s past, Ellen sees a future with Harry and is blissfully led along believing in their love affair and the comfort that their newly formed relationship brings her – acceptance, security and a future as a family.
For a time, life is good. Harry’s parents become wonderful grandparents to Billy, and Harry and Ellen have two children together and life seems complete. Then, just like in a day-time soap opera, cold blows the wind and the tide turns. Harry’s secret past comes to Hobart – in the form of Eliza, Harry’s wife - and crushes all of Ellen’s hopes and dreams of any future with Harry Woods.
And it’s at this half-way-point in the book that you can feel the chilling wind arrive, not only in the setting but in the relationships which thread throughout the novel. The warmth and comfort the author delivers in the first half of the book (like layering cosy quilts to shield from the harsh winds and snows blowing down from the mountain) leave the reader quite unprepared for the sudden turn of events for not only Harry but especially for Ellen. This stark shift in the mood of the story had a jarring effect on this reader and I have to say, it wasn’t the ending I was expecting. However, the way in which the author narrates the story makes the reader (somewhat) sympathetic towards Ellen’s situation and compels you to keep reading. Meyrick is an incredible storyteller – the historical detail and descriptions of Hobart Town and the era are authentically striking and vivid; and the characters are well-developed and well documented.
Life is not always a happily ever after.
Synopsis /
Hobart Town 1878 – a vibrant town drawing people from every corner of the earth where, with confidence and a flair for storytelling, a person can be whoever he or she wants. Almost.
Ellen Thompson is young, vivacious and unmarried, with a six-month-old baby. Despite her fierce attachment to her family, boisterous and unashamed of their convict origins, Ellen dreams of marriage and disappearing into the ranks of the respectable. Then she meets Harry Woods.
Harry, newly arrived in Hobart Town from Western Australia, has come to help his aging father, ‘the Old Man of the Mountain’ who for more than twenty years has guided climbers on Mount Wellington. Harry sees in Ellen a chance to remake his life.
But, in Hobart Town, the past is never far away, never truly forgotten. When the past collides with Ellen’s dreams, she is forced to confront everything in life a woman fears most.
Based on fact, Cold Blows the Wind is not a romance but it is a story of love – a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and, those most troublesome loves of all, for the men in her life. It is a story of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
My Thoughts /
One line review? Talk about throwing the reader a curve ball!
The setting: Hobart Town, Australia, 1878.
Up until 1 January 1856, the place we now know as Tasmania, was originally called Van Diemen’s Land. The name change was intended to separate the island from its history as a penal colony and to honour the island's discoverer, Abel Tasman. The name Van Diemen's Land had become associated with horror in England due to the harsh conditions of the island's convict settlements.
In Cold Blows the Wind, author, Catherine Meyrick, recounts the story of the Thompson family, or, more specifically, the story of our protagonist, Ellen Thompson. Ellen was a spirited young woman whose life revolved around the family unit, and, throughout the course of the story, the reader gets to experience life through Ellen’s eyes. As the daughter from an impoverished working class family, Ellen Thompson was no stranger to hard work for little reward. Meyrick tests Ellen’s character time and time again as she experiences betrayal, abandonment, poverty, rape, an unwanted pregnancy and the death of a child, as well as the death of loved ones. Yet Ellen emerges on the other side as an extremely resilient woman, whose mental and emotional strength in facing life’s challenges in times of adversity was truly inspiring.
In the beginning of the book the reader learns that Ellen has a young son, Billy, from a former relationship. She loves Billy fiercely, but yearns for a life that at the moment is nothing but a pipe dream – a loving husband and a stable father figure for Billy. Then she meets Harry Woods, who has arrived in Hobart from Perth to reconnect with his aging father and step-mother. On the face of it, Harry is polite and charming and definitely interested, but he’s a man who is holding secrets from his past and he’s unwilling to share them. Despite her family’s lingering doubts about Harry’s past, Ellen sees a future with Harry and is blissfully led along believing in their love affair and the comfort that their newly formed relationship brings her – acceptance, security and a future as a family.
For a time, life is good. Harry’s parents become wonderful grandparents to Billy, and Harry and Ellen have two children together and life seems complete. Then, just like in a day-time soap opera, cold blows the wind and the tide turns. Harry’s secret past comes to Hobart – in the form of Eliza, Harry’s wife - and crushes all of Ellen’s hopes and dreams of any future with Harry Woods.
And it’s at this half-way-point in the book that you can feel the chilling wind arrive, not only in the setting but in the relationships which thread throughout the novel. The warmth and comfort the author delivers in the first half of the book (like layering cosy quilts to shield from the harsh winds and snows blowing down from the mountain) leave the reader quite unprepared for the sudden turn of events for not only Harry but especially for Ellen. This stark shift in the mood of the story had a jarring effect on this reader and I have to say, it wasn’t the ending I was expecting. However, the way in which the author narrates the story makes the reader (somewhat) sympathetic towards Ellen’s situation and compels you to keep reading. Meyrick is an incredible storyteller – the historical detail and descriptions of Hobart Town and the era are authentically striking and vivid; and the characters are well-developed and well documented.
Life is not always a happily ever after.
August 4, 2022
I read a lot of books, but it’s not that often I think about them in my non-reading time and look forward to the late evening when I can get back to the story. Cold Blows the Wind is one of those books that embedded itself in my heart and wouldn’t let go.
Ellen Thompson was the epitome of a strong woman … and true strength, to me, shines the brightest when one is poor, when life is unfair, when one is mistreated, and when dreams die unfulfilled. All of this and much more describes Ellen, yet she managed to take care of herself, her children, and her loved ones in the way she best could … always standing up for who she was.
This historical story, which begins in Hobart Town, Australia in 1878, is rich in color and character … offering much insight into the lives of the poor and the harsh and often brutal living and societal conditions that were the norm. I did not know until I had read the entire book that it was based on the author’s great-great grandparents and their families. (While this is stated in the blurb, I only read the first paragraph when I purchased it.)
I have no wish to give away any of the story, but Ellen’s character and her story resonated strongly with me. I was fascinated to read the historical notes at the end of the book, and I am impressed by all I can imagine Catherine Meyrick put into telling/researching this fragile, yet very human tale. She has combined history and fiction to produce a truly wonderful book.
Ellen Thompson was the epitome of a strong woman … and true strength, to me, shines the brightest when one is poor, when life is unfair, when one is mistreated, and when dreams die unfulfilled. All of this and much more describes Ellen, yet she managed to take care of herself, her children, and her loved ones in the way she best could … always standing up for who she was.
This historical story, which begins in Hobart Town, Australia in 1878, is rich in color and character … offering much insight into the lives of the poor and the harsh and often brutal living and societal conditions that were the norm. I did not know until I had read the entire book that it was based on the author’s great-great grandparents and their families. (While this is stated in the blurb, I only read the first paragraph when I purchased it.)
I have no wish to give away any of the story, but Ellen’s character and her story resonated strongly with me. I was fascinated to read the historical notes at the end of the book, and I am impressed by all I can imagine Catherine Meyrick put into telling/researching this fragile, yet very human tale. She has combined history and fiction to produce a truly wonderful book.
April 29, 2022
This is an extraordinary book. It's powerfully evocative of the Tasmanian landscape and of the period, and meticulous in its historical details. It's certainly not your typical romance, but the writing is beautiful and the story riveting. While it's a story of hardship and poverty, its also about resiliance and hope. The author's note at the end explaining the lives of the people the story is based on is a really nice ending too. There should be more Australian fiction like this!!
August 28, 2025
This reader has just finished an excellent historical fiction, Cold Blows the Wind by Catherine Meyrick. The stunning narrative is set in the penal colony of Hobart Town, Australia. The reader finds herself with not one but two dilemmas. The first is an inundation of vivid images from the fine novel she just closed the back cover on, accosting her in proliferation.
The second is how will she be able to find another novel as well-conceived as this one—one that will keep her turning pages long into the night?
So much has already been said about this book, that it would be ludicrous for me to add more. Instead, I will merely thank the author for the hours of reading pleasure she has afforded me with this literary masterpiece. I’m ever grateful for your hours of research, your ingenious talent, and your insightful gifts in penning a story that will long endure in my memory. Kudos!
The second is how will she be able to find another novel as well-conceived as this one—one that will keep her turning pages long into the night?
So much has already been said about this book, that it would be ludicrous for me to add more. Instead, I will merely thank the author for the hours of reading pleasure she has afforded me with this literary masterpiece. I’m ever grateful for your hours of research, your ingenious talent, and your insightful gifts in penning a story that will long endure in my memory. Kudos!
May 11, 2022
A magnificent novel of love and fortitude.
Cold blows the wind is set in 1878 Australia, in what was formerly called Van Dieman’s Land, and later Tasmania, it is a sweeping tale of both human fortitude, and weakness, in the face of very trying circumstances.
At the centre is Ellen Thompson, a plucky young woman, a doting mother to her fatherless little boy, Billy. Sadly, we see her character tested time after time by the vicissitudes of life. Ms Meyrick paints a wonderfully sympathetic picture of pretty Ellen whose seemingly irrepressible joie de vivre and courage charms the reader and makes you want to stand by her every step of the way.
Harry Woods, an attractive older man, attentive but somewhat mysterious, enters Ellen’s life and you can almost hear the cogs of the wheel of destiny beginning to turn, taking you on an exhilarating ride. Not knowing what the future holds. For me, the rawness, intensity and passion of the book makes it a worthy companion to one of my favourite books, Gone with the wind. Ellen is a magnificent heroine and you find yourself hoping that, in Harry, a different Scarlett has finally met her Rhett.
The minor characters are equally memorable; the riotous Thompsons with their gift for getting into trouble and out of it; Old Mr Woods, with his love of the mountain featured in the book, and Grannie Woods are so vividly drawn. The old lady’s kindness brought tears to my eyes during one scene. Ms Meryrick’s description of the Tasmanian landscape and wildlife is breathtaking. Life for many of its inhabitants is at its most basic: a hand to mouth existence. Sometimes not even that. The class system at this time was alive and definitely kicking. An exciting plot, superbly crafted dialogue and distinctive accent leaves the words ringing in your ears long after you have put the book down.
I deliberately don’t want to include any spoilers as it is an absolute page-turner that will keep you gripped until the very last sentence. All I can say is that it is a treasure trove waiting to be found.
Cold blows the wind is set in 1878 Australia, in what was formerly called Van Dieman’s Land, and later Tasmania, it is a sweeping tale of both human fortitude, and weakness, in the face of very trying circumstances.
At the centre is Ellen Thompson, a plucky young woman, a doting mother to her fatherless little boy, Billy. Sadly, we see her character tested time after time by the vicissitudes of life. Ms Meyrick paints a wonderfully sympathetic picture of pretty Ellen whose seemingly irrepressible joie de vivre and courage charms the reader and makes you want to stand by her every step of the way.
Harry Woods, an attractive older man, attentive but somewhat mysterious, enters Ellen’s life and you can almost hear the cogs of the wheel of destiny beginning to turn, taking you on an exhilarating ride. Not knowing what the future holds. For me, the rawness, intensity and passion of the book makes it a worthy companion to one of my favourite books, Gone with the wind. Ellen is a magnificent heroine and you find yourself hoping that, in Harry, a different Scarlett has finally met her Rhett.
The minor characters are equally memorable; the riotous Thompsons with their gift for getting into trouble and out of it; Old Mr Woods, with his love of the mountain featured in the book, and Grannie Woods are so vividly drawn. The old lady’s kindness brought tears to my eyes during one scene. Ms Meryrick’s description of the Tasmanian landscape and wildlife is breathtaking. Life for many of its inhabitants is at its most basic: a hand to mouth existence. Sometimes not even that. The class system at this time was alive and definitely kicking. An exciting plot, superbly crafted dialogue and distinctive accent leaves the words ringing in your ears long after you have put the book down.
I deliberately don’t want to include any spoilers as it is an absolute page-turner that will keep you gripped until the very last sentence. All I can say is that it is a treasure trove waiting to be found.
November 5, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Oh boy I wasn’t expecting the last half of this book…it really caught me off guard. It was very emotional to read all that went on in Ellen’s life especially in regard to Harry Woods. It made me quite mad 😠
A historical fiction story that again was explained so well in the author’s note at the end as it was based on a period in the lives of her great-great grandparents set in Hobart, Tasmania in the late 1800s.
The blurb on the back describes it so well in a nutshell - it’s not a romance, but a story of love - a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and the most troublesome loves of all for the men in her life. It is a story of the ENDURING strength of the human spirit.
Oh boy I wasn’t expecting the last half of this book…it really caught me off guard. It was very emotional to read all that went on in Ellen’s life especially in regard to Harry Woods. It made me quite mad 😠
A historical fiction story that again was explained so well in the author’s note at the end as it was based on a period in the lives of her great-great grandparents set in Hobart, Tasmania in the late 1800s.
The blurb on the back describes it so well in a nutshell - it’s not a romance, but a story of love - a mother’s love for her children, a woman’s love for her family and the most troublesome loves of all for the men in her life. It is a story of the ENDURING strength of the human spirit.
November 5, 2023
It’s such a joy to state that one of my best reads this year was by an independent
author. And it’s true. Meyrick’s family saga of her great-great grandparents is an impressive work of devotion, written to be both an inspiration and gripping story celebrating the human spirit.
Young Ellen Thompson wasn’t born on the right side of the tracks in the 19th century, and even when book begins in 1878, she’s already had one child out of wedlock. The Thompson clan is well-known in Hobart Town for being hard drinkers who frequent the city’s gaols.
Yet despite her tender years, Ellen thinks she’s worldly enough to take on an older man, and when handsome Harry Woods arrives in Hobart Town, they become quite the item. But it’s not long before Ellen is pregnant again and living with Harry at his father’s ramshackle camp up on Mt. Wellington. For some time, she and Harry enjoy their idyll, but few people can completely shed their past. Harry’s finally catches up with him, and when it does, it upends his passion for Ellen, and her heart is broken. It’s here that she begins to face the troubled and agonizing life of a poor, unmarried mother, as she’s gripped with the constant stress of finding work and rearing her children in an unbending Victorian society.
Not only does Meyrick capture the drama and squalid living conditions of the poor, but she brings to life 19th century Tasmania and builds a colorful and sometimes captivatingly glorious landscape. Make no mistake; this book’s vivid realism nearly made me cry at times, and I applaud Meyrick’s ability to flesh out her characters, giving them sympathetic sides and endearing them to the reader. Harry’s mistakes, Ellen’s rough edges, and Eliza’s staid convictions are all portrayed effortlessly and with a flowing, natural prose.
This year, I’ve read some fantastic authors: Ken Follett, Umberto Eco, and Kate Quinn. Each of those names holds agency within the traditionally published literary industry. Well, another name is most deserving of note. Pick up one of Catherine Meyrick’s books today and you’ll find out exactly why.
May 17, 2022
Catherine Meyrick is one of my favorite authors, and her current release based on her ancestors doesn’t disappoint.
The main character, Ellen Thompson, is a single mother living with her close-knit family. She meets Harry Woods, a kind, generous man who has arrived in town to help his elderly parents survive the harsh mountain climate. The couple falls in love and together, lives an idyllic though trying life until Harry’s secrets are revealed, and his true character is exposed.
With her beautiful way of writing, Meyrick maintains Harry’s side of the story as authentic, even sympathetic while Ellen’s resilience under the worst of circumstances shines through.
I highly recommend Cold Blows the Wind to anyone looking for an entertaining true-to-life read.
The main character, Ellen Thompson, is a single mother living with her close-knit family. She meets Harry Woods, a kind, generous man who has arrived in town to help his elderly parents survive the harsh mountain climate. The couple falls in love and together, lives an idyllic though trying life until Harry’s secrets are revealed, and his true character is exposed.
With her beautiful way of writing, Meyrick maintains Harry’s side of the story as authentic, even sympathetic while Ellen’s resilience under the worst of circumstances shines through.
I highly recommend Cold Blows the Wind to anyone looking for an entertaining true-to-life read.
March 27, 2025
Cold Wind Blows
A great story, around the city of Hobart and it's beautiful mountain. How one man's lies, end up effecting a woman and her children. How she struggles under great odds, to give them a decent life, struggling with no money. How one man casts his children aside, and refuses to accept responsibility for their welfare. The woman and her children eventually find, love peace and a good life. A great snap shot of early Hobart and how the mountain also features in this story
A great story, around the city of Hobart and it's beautiful mountain. How one man's lies, end up effecting a woman and her children. How she struggles under great odds, to give them a decent life, struggling with no money. How one man casts his children aside, and refuses to accept responsibility for their welfare. The woman and her children eventually find, love peace and a good life. A great snap shot of early Hobart and how the mountain also features in this story
April 29, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and learning about Ellen's story, she was an amazingly strong and brave woman, who you'll find yourself wanting to succeed despite the difficulties life keeps presenting her with.
The author paints a vivid picture of life in Hobart in the late 1800s and although this isn't a conventional love story, the fact that it's based on real people and events, just helped to bring the story to life for me.
The author paints a vivid picture of life in Hobart in the late 1800s and although this isn't a conventional love story, the fact that it's based on real people and events, just helped to bring the story to life for me.
March 20, 2023
While I’ve read many novels which have touched on poverty, few authors truly take us so deeply into the lives of those suffering from living in dire circumstances. Meyrick doesn’t just paint a word portrait of what it’s like to be hungry and cold—she takes us into the world of a mother trying, against all odds—to keep herself and her children going. Had it not been for the love of a caring family, the struggle would have been too much. Although the portrayal of Ellen is remarkable, so too, are the characterizations of the elderly couple who—almost—become Ellen’s in-laws. While this is clearly a realistic depiction of actual people, it is also the story of a warrior spirit. A gritty testimony to the strength and resilience of the human spirit!
May 9, 2022
Thank you to the author, Catherine Meyrick for providing me with a copy of her book in exchange for a review.
I have read two of Meyrick's books, both set in England, and was excited to read on based on her Australian ancestors. Beginning in 1878 in Hobart Town, this is the story of Ellen Thompson and Harry Woods. When they meet, Ellen is an unwed mother and Harry, well Harry has returned to care for his elderly father and step-mother. He's a man with secrets, unwilling to share. The begin a life together, and a family but Harry's past returns to haunt them. Ellen, despite the setback is determine to live life on her terms and do the best she can for her children.
Beautifully written with an honest tenderness, the author draws you into her ancestor's lives, bringing their world with all its joy, pain, ugliness and love to life.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, women's fiction and those that just love a great story.
I have read two of Meyrick's books, both set in England, and was excited to read on based on her Australian ancestors. Beginning in 1878 in Hobart Town, this is the story of Ellen Thompson and Harry Woods. When they meet, Ellen is an unwed mother and Harry, well Harry has returned to care for his elderly father and step-mother. He's a man with secrets, unwilling to share. The begin a life together, and a family but Harry's past returns to haunt them. Ellen, despite the setback is determine to live life on her terms and do the best she can for her children.
Beautifully written with an honest tenderness, the author draws you into her ancestor's lives, bringing their world with all its joy, pain, ugliness and love to life.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, women's fiction and those that just love a great story.
August 12, 2022
Excellent. Meyrick is a clever storyteller. Highly recommended.
September 17, 2022
The last half of this book I read blindingly mad! You'll have to read it yourself to find out why!
April 23, 2023
Cold Blows the Wind by Catherine Meyrick has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award
www.chillwithabook.com
www.chillwithabook.com
August 6, 2023
Excellent account of early Hobart times. Really sheds light on the hardships of the times, especially for single mothers.
August 26, 2024
No great literary piece but an interesting story, albeit a little too long winded with too much unnecessary detail. well worth the read all the same.
August 29, 2025
The resilience of women, of mothers, is incredible. Historical fiction but based on the real lives of convict descendants in my home town of Hobart - my ancestors may have a similar story to tell.
December 19, 2025
excellent read
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews