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The Willing Heart
Marisa and her younger brother Tony were alone in the world, and life was not too easy. It seemed the last straw when Tony got into serious trouble. When Cesare Gianelli suddenly came on the scene and offered his help, Marisa was thankful to accept it. There was one condition -- Cesare wanted her to marry him. Where did she go from there, though? For although she rapidly fell in love with her new husband he made it clear that all he wanted was a competent housekeeper. Could she ever expect to find happiness with him?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Helen Bianchin
383 books231 followersHelen Shirley was born on February 20 1939 in New Zealand, where she grew up, an only child possessed by a vivid imagination and a love for reading. She wrote stories for amusement in her early teenage years, and when she left leaving school, she took a secretarial job at a father-and-son legal firm.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2025
I read this marriage of convenience story with fascination. Written in 1976, this martyred heroine marries the Italian tobacco farmer because he has promised to put her brother through medical school. All she has to do is cook for the work crew, eventually give him sons, and work until she drops.
So work she does. Her existence is livened up by segregated (men/women) gatherings and plenty of side characters who reinforce what a woman's lot in life is supposed to be.
The heroine wins a declaration of love from her husband at the end of story by being the perfect wife.( It's actually pretty sweet)
Yes, it's sexist and toxic, but boy do I remember this magical thinking. Be a good girl and work hard and you will be praised and rewarded. In short, this is a time capsule story.
Some Helen Bianchin touches:
*powder room encounter with the OW
* discussion of clothes and styles
* description of heroine getting ready
*the thrill of shopping
Trigger warning: miscarriage
So work she does. Her existence is livened up by segregated (men/women) gatherings and plenty of side characters who reinforce what a woman's lot in life is supposed to be.
The heroine wins a declaration of love from her husband at the end of story by being the perfect wife.( It's actually pretty sweet)
Yes, it's sexist and toxic, but boy do I remember this magical thinking. Be a good girl and work hard and you will be praised and rewarded. In short, this is a time capsule story.
Some Helen Bianchin touches:
*powder room encounter with the OW
* discussion of clothes and styles
* description of heroine getting ready
*the thrill of shopping
Trigger warning: miscarriage
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
This is a dealbreaker for me: I can never move past situations where the H tells the h that it's time to get over the loss of a child or a pregnancy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2018
1975 story set in the Dimbulah tobacco farm region.
Oddly fascinating details of life on a tobacco farm during the 1970s, it's a very slow moving story. Our heroine Marisa was most annoying. She spoilt her brother and he was a useless bum. I felt like slapping both of them!
Our hero Cesare ("Che-sa-re" not say-sar as I had thought) swooped in to the rescue, offering her an initial marriage of convenience in which he'd pay for her brother's university education and she had to play housekeeper at his tobacco farm. He's rich! And he made sure she understood the marriage will be real, he's a Catholic and did not believe in divorce, but will give her time before he ahem consummated the marriage.
Life on the farm was tough...Everyone was so busy from sun up to sun down! Cesare sure was smart to marry a woman to run his house, no wonder he kept losing his housekeepers! He should have given more verbal or obvious compliments and praises to Marisa; for a secretary she sure rose to the occasion beautifully! Cooking all the meals for more than ten, and cleaning up all by herself was outstanding! Backbreaking too! Not that the men had it easy, but would it kill Cesare to help her wipe the dishes or something?!
When they had the house to themselves again after Tony went back to school, Cesare deemed Marisa ready for him, and he made her his. She was still terribly shy but by then she loved Cesare!
I was relieved for Marisa when it's holiday time! But in Sydney she met the catty Francesca, who had set her sights on Cesare. Too bad! Thankfully Cesare was smart enough to whisk her off to Green Island, leaving Sydney early.
Then came the tragedy of Cesare losing his parents in a traffic accident. During his absence, Marisa found out she's pregnant! She fairly glowed during pregnancy. But sadly things did not turn out well, she fell and they lost their baby girl at five months of pregnancy. Heartbreaking.
Full of guilt, Marisa just wanted to be alone and escape from everyone's pity/sympathy. Cesare got impatient with her morose moping and told her off. She snapped back childishly, and Cesare gave her the cold shoulder, going so far as to sleep in another room.
Marisa felt so hopeless and seriously depressed. She knew Cesare did not love her, she was just a convenient housekeeper to him...so one afternoon she packed a suitcase and took a train from Mareeba to Cairns...But Cesare was there waiting when Marisa disembarked! He was furious and demanded an explanation for her desertion!
Love confessions from both sides; Cesare fell in love with Marisa on the roadside when her tyre went flat and she was so angry when he offered his help. I thought Cesare did betray signs he loved her, but Marisa was a complete innocent when it came to men, so she did not read the signs at all, or correctly.
It could be frustrating but when Cesare was all passionate and tender towards Marisa it was so sweet...See this as a slow burn romance, and the pace is quite enjoyable watching Marisa fall in love.
I suspect this story was endorsed by a tobacco company haha. The way Cesare was always puffing away like a chimney! And when he kissed her during/right after smoking? Eeewww ashtray mouth!
Oddly fascinating details of life on a tobacco farm during the 1970s, it's a very slow moving story. Our heroine Marisa was most annoying. She spoilt her brother and he was a useless bum. I felt like slapping both of them!
Our hero Cesare ("Che-sa-re" not say-sar as I had thought) swooped in to the rescue, offering her an initial marriage of convenience in which he'd pay for her brother's university education and she had to play housekeeper at his tobacco farm. He's rich! And he made sure she understood the marriage will be real, he's a Catholic and did not believe in divorce, but will give her time before he ahem consummated the marriage.
Life on the farm was tough...Everyone was so busy from sun up to sun down! Cesare sure was smart to marry a woman to run his house, no wonder he kept losing his housekeepers! He should have given more verbal or obvious compliments and praises to Marisa; for a secretary she sure rose to the occasion beautifully! Cooking all the meals for more than ten, and cleaning up all by herself was outstanding! Backbreaking too! Not that the men had it easy, but would it kill Cesare to help her wipe the dishes or something?!
When they had the house to themselves again after Tony went back to school, Cesare deemed Marisa ready for him, and he made her his. She was still terribly shy but by then she loved Cesare!
I was relieved for Marisa when it's holiday time! But in Sydney she met the catty Francesca, who had set her sights on Cesare. Too bad! Thankfully Cesare was smart enough to whisk her off to Green Island, leaving Sydney early.
Then came the tragedy of Cesare losing his parents in a traffic accident. During his absence, Marisa found out she's pregnant! She fairly glowed during pregnancy. But sadly things did not turn out well, she fell and they lost their baby girl at five months of pregnancy. Heartbreaking.
Full of guilt, Marisa just wanted to be alone and escape from everyone's pity/sympathy. Cesare got impatient with her morose moping and told her off. She snapped back childishly, and Cesare gave her the cold shoulder, going so far as to sleep in another room.
Marisa felt so hopeless and seriously depressed. She knew Cesare did not love her, she was just a convenient housekeeper to him...so one afternoon she packed a suitcase and took a train from Mareeba to Cairns...But Cesare was there waiting when Marisa disembarked! He was furious and demanded an explanation for her desertion!
Love confessions from both sides; Cesare fell in love with Marisa on the roadside when her tyre went flat and she was so angry when he offered his help. I thought Cesare did betray signs he loved her, but Marisa was a complete innocent when it came to men, so she did not read the signs at all, or correctly.
It could be frustrating but when Cesare was all passionate and tender towards Marisa it was so sweet...See this as a slow burn romance, and the pace is quite enjoyable watching Marisa fall in love.
I suspect this story was endorsed by a tobacco company haha. The way Cesare was always puffing away like a chimney! And when he kissed her during/right after smoking? Eeewww ashtray mouth!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2017
Very different form the usual Helen Bianchin books, maybe because it's one of her early ones. I kinda liked it because I liked the heroine a lot. She was shy young girl, who was trying her best to make ends meet and take care of her irresponsible younger brother. Unlike some of Miss Bianchin heroines who are combative and aggressive, this one is sweet and has a "willing heart" as the title indicates.
The H marries her to help her out and because he needs a housekeeper. And unlike her newer books, though he is wealthy, he is a hard working farmer. The h also is not the usual wealthy idle wife of late. She works hard at being the housekeeper for her farmer husband. The H is quite decent to her, if a bit overbearing. He gives her a chance to get used to him.
The romance aspect is a bit slow but sweet.
The H marries her to help her out and because he needs a housekeeper. And unlike her newer books, though he is wealthy, he is a hard working farmer. The h also is not the usual wealthy idle wife of late. She works hard at being the housekeeper for her farmer husband. The H is quite decent to her, if a bit overbearing. He gives her a chance to get used to him.
The romance aspect is a bit slow but sweet.
February 19, 2024
2.5, for the sweet heroine. H had his moments too but he was harsh at times, expecting too much of her too soon. He also smoked like a chimney, so I know their hea will only last as long as his lungs would🙄 He seriously did not stop and I cheered when the h told him he smoked too much. Also, he played football professionally, which did not make sense given how much he smoked.
Anyway, the story is about our destitude debt crippled heroine, whose brother's only ability was to get himself into trouble and her into more debt. H falls in love with her at first sight and comes to the rescue with a MOC and a pseudo housekeeping position at his tobacco farm in exchange for wiping out her debt and paying for her brothers studies. Read if you have time to kill and if you like martyr heroines and marriages of convenience. There was a forgettable OM and OW, as the story was more centered about the MC's daily routine and journey to confessing their love.
Anyway, the story is about our destitude debt crippled heroine, whose brother's only ability was to get himself into trouble and her into more debt. H falls in love with her at first sight and comes to the rescue with a MOC and a pseudo housekeeping position at his tobacco farm in exchange for wiping out her debt and paying for her brothers studies. Read if you have time to kill and if you like martyr heroines and marriages of convenience. There was a forgettable OM and OW, as the story was more centered about the MC's daily routine and journey to confessing their love.
May 26, 2016
I learned so much about farming tobacco so all was not lost ....but it was too slow for my taste.
May 24, 2016
What can I say..this is not the best of Helen Bianchin..
Unlike Purchased by the Billionaire that i have to read several times because i really really love the story..
Unlike Purchased by the Billionaire that i have to read several times because i really really love the story..
January 10, 2022
The story showcases farm-life to an extent and, basically, how a new wife has to make adjustments in her marriage and altered way of living. Overall, good, but I didn't like how the Hero made the heroine work too hard, since most of the time she is exhausted, i mean actually very very tired....and, really, the "killing chicken" episodes didn't exactly add to the romance. Hero is tough stuff for sure but frankly i thought the heroine is a really good wife to him because she has a "willing heart". Ending is sweet.
October 26, 2022
Her first book, based a bit on her own life, and actually pretty darn good. Usual OW trope but barely there. I am looking to see if she wrote one about the friend who gets married to Nick from Melbourne.
July 31, 2025
If I could give a negative rating to this mess, I absolutely would.
What in the world was this? Where was romance???'
Love???
feelings or care??
The blatant misogyny combined with undertones of servitude was appalling. The heroine spends her days slogging from morning till night, first under the control of her useless brother, and then under the so-called "hero." Honestly, she would have been better off working as a housekeeper—at least then she might have received a salary and some time off.
She works herself to the bone every single day, and the "hero" does nothing but bark orders, smirk condescendingly, and occasionally toss a rare smile her way—like crumbs to a starving dog. And somehow, this foolish heroine is grateful for it?
He is rude to her, makes her drive car when she never knew how and top of it made her wait in the car half hour twice while the asshole goes for a drink once and meets a friend another time!!!!!
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with cooking or caring for a spouse, but this man expected her to cook four times a day, prepare mountains of food, entertain guests, and manage the entire household—all without help, appreciation, or even basic emotional support. I'm genuinely surprised she didn’t collapse from sheer exhaustion.
As for the "hero"? A patronizing jerk with zero redeeming qualities. I have no idea what the heroine saw in him, or why she supposedly fell in love. Honestly, what was the author thinking when they wrote this?
What in the world was this? Where was romance???'
Love???
feelings or care??
The blatant misogyny combined with undertones of servitude was appalling. The heroine spends her days slogging from morning till night, first under the control of her useless brother, and then under the so-called "hero." Honestly, she would have been better off working as a housekeeper—at least then she might have received a salary and some time off.
She works herself to the bone every single day, and the "hero" does nothing but bark orders, smirk condescendingly, and occasionally toss a rare smile her way—like crumbs to a starving dog. And somehow, this foolish heroine is grateful for it?
He is rude to her, makes her drive car when she never knew how and top of it made her wait in the car half hour twice while the asshole goes for a drink once and meets a friend another time!!!!!
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with cooking or caring for a spouse, but this man expected her to cook four times a day, prepare mountains of food, entertain guests, and manage the entire household—all without help, appreciation, or even basic emotional support. I'm genuinely surprised she didn’t collapse from sheer exhaustion.
As for the "hero"? A patronizing jerk with zero redeeming qualities. I have no idea what the heroine saw in him, or why she supposedly fell in love. Honestly, what was the author thinking when they wrote this?
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
August 6, 2022Marisa and her younger brother Tony were alone in the world, and life was not too easy. It seemed the last straw when Tony got into serious trouble. When Cesare Gianelli suddenly came on the scene and offered his help, Marisa was thankful to accept it. There was one condition -- Cesare wanted her to marry him. Where did she go from there, though? For although she rapidly fell in love with her new husband he made it clear that all he wanted was a competent housekeeper. Could she ever expect to find happiness with him?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews