The Homestead Girls (Aussie Outback Medical #6) in Aussie Readers

Apr 25, 2015 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-read, arc, aussie-authors, net-galley, 2015-release, contemporary-fiction, read-on-kindle

Living in Sydney with her sixteen year old daughter Mia, Dr Billie Green found it hard as a single mother to know what Mia was up to while she was at work. Her workload was intense and very busy; Mia was at the age of rebellion and being led. So when once again Mia was in trouble Billie decided to leave Sydney and follow her long held dream of joining the Royal Flying Doctor service.

Mica Ridge, not far from Broken Hill on the New South Wales and South Australian border was the little town Billi Living in Sydney with her sixteen year old daughter Mia, Dr Billie Green found it hard as a single mother to know what Mia was up to while she was at work. Her workload was intense and very busy; Mia was at the age of rebellion and being led. So when once again Mia was in trouble Billie decided to leave Sydney and follow her long held dream of joining the Royal Flying Doctor service.

Mica Ridge, not far from Broken Hill on the New South Wales and South Australian border was the little town Billie had grown up in with her parents. She hadn’t been back for eighteen years; the devastating loss of her parents had sent her in search of something to assuage her heartbreaking loss – now she was returning with her daughter and a medical career she was proud of. But of course Mia wasn’t happy about the move…

Meeting flight nurse Daphne Prince, pilot Ross and her boss Morgan Blake, as well as others, Billie felt an immediate welcoming vibe coming from them all. She could feel she was going to be very happy in her new position, and she was hopeful Mia would settle in and like the place she so loved.

When homestead owner Soretta Byrnes’ grandfather was injured in a dreadful farming accident, she had no idea what she could do to keep Blue Hills station going. The drought had been relentless and many farmers were going under. But the suggestion to turn the homestead into a place for boarders turned out to be a good one. When Billie and Mia, plus Daphne all moved out to beautiful Blue Hills station, they found the peaceful tranquillity a bonus. And when they were joined by eighty year old Lorna the girls settled into a routine which benefitted them all.

As medical emergencies occurred and Billie joined her team to fly to different areas for ferrying patients to Broken Hill or Adelaide, there were also the variations of the weekly clinics in the outback and the constant on-call situations. Billie loved it all. Lives were changing, friendships were being forged – but in the background there was a danger which Billie was unaware of. Would Billie and Mia’s new life be disrupted once again by the past?

Aussie author Fiona McArthur has followed up her excellent debut Red Sand Sunrise with another great Australian outback romantic suspense novel, The Homestead Girls. This one includes the added interest of The Royal Flying Doctor service, plus the devastation of drought on farmers and their families. I thoroughly enjoyed The Homestead Girls and have no hesitation in recommending it highly. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
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May 19, 2015 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews, aussie-author

Fiona McArthur’s, The Homestead Girls, is a heartwarming story of friendship, courage and compassion set in the outback of NSW.

In The Homestead Girls, Soretta Byrnes is struggling to keep her grandparent's farm solvent in the drought, especially after her grandfather is badly injured in an accident, so when it's suggested that she accept some boarders as a way to earn extra income, she agrees, determined to save Blue Hills Station.
Soretta is quickly joined by Daphne Prince, a flight nurse with t
Fiona McArthur’s, The Homestead Girls, is a heartwarming story of friendship, courage and compassion set in the outback of NSW.

In The Homestead Girls, Soretta Byrnes is struggling to keep her grandparent's farm solvent in the drought, especially after her grandfather is badly injured in an accident, so when it's suggested that she accept some boarders as a way to earn extra income, she agrees, determined to save Blue Hills Station.
Soretta is quickly joined by Daphne Prince, a flight nurse with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, eager to help the battling farmer; Dr Billie Green, with her rebellious teenage daughter in tow, who has returned to her hometown of Mica Ridge to fulfill a childhood dream by taking up a position with the RFDS; and eighty year old widow Lorna Lamerton, looking for company.
Despite their differences, the unlikely housemates soon become close friends, finding strength, support and happiness in their relationships with one another as they face a myriad of challenges.

I liked all the women in The Homestead Girls and delighted in their growing friendship. They all benefit from their living arrangements in both practical and emotional ways.

With such a large primary cast I did find some elements of the story a little underdeveloped. I'm not sure, for example, that the subplot involving Billie and her ex husband added anything to the story overall, the confrontation between the pair was anti-climatic and quickly overshadowed by following events.
Though there is romance in The Homestead Girls, for both Billie and Daphne, it doesn't overwhelm the story. With both Billie and Daphne having been deeply hurt in past relationships they are wary of involvement and their romances with their respective partners, Morgan and Rex, develop slowly, though Daphne's has been a long time coming.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an invaluable resource in regional Australia and McArthur highlights their stellar work in The Homestead Girls. The RFDS provides numerous services to outback communities from running immunisation and antenatal clinics in remote areas, to dealing with emergencies such as snakebites, heart attacks and vehicular accidents. I really enjoyed learning more about what it's like to work for the service and reading about the team's varied medical experiences.

An uplifting story of friendship and romance, The Homestead Girls is a lovely read I'd be happy to recommend. ...more

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Jun 19, 2015 Helen rated it it was amazing

This is a fabulous story so beautifully written emotional and so very joyful as well, it is one that will keep you turning the pages as we follow the lives of five women who become The Homestead Girls.

Dr Billie Green decides that it is time to move back to her home town of Mica Ridge after her sixteen year old daughter Mia gets in with the wrong crowd in The City Billie has always wanted to join The Flying Doctor Service and now the chance has come up she jumps at the opportunity.

Daphne Prince ...more

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Jun 21, 2015 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, rural-lit

When Dr Billie Green’s teenage daughter Mia falls in with a bad crowd, Billie uses that as an opportunity to return to the small town in far western New South Wales where she grew up. It’s been a goal of Billie’s to work for the Flying Doctor Service and she’s spent time in her career doing rotations and earning qualifications that will serve her well in the remote locations. She’s happy to meet her colleagues, including the lovely but insecure flight nurse Daphne Price and their authoritarian b When Dr Billie Green’s teenage daughter Mia falls in with a bad crowd, Billie uses that as an opportunity to return to the small town in far western New South Wales where she grew up. It’s been a goal of Billie’s to work for the Flying Doctor Service and she’s spent time in her career doing rotations and earning qualifications that will serve her well in the remote locations. She’s happy to meet her colleagues, including the lovely but insecure flight nurse Daphne Price and their authoritarian boss Dr Morgan Blake.

Soretta Byrnes has benefited from the Flying Doctor Service after her grandfather was severely injured on their farm. But with him in hospital, Soretta is struggling more than ever to make ends meet when the drought just won’t quit. Although Daphne has supported Soretta as a friend, she decides that she’d like to do more. The homestead on Soretta’s property is huge – old and beautiful and with plenty of room. Daphne, Billie and Mia soon move out to the property as paying boarders, an arrangement which suits everyone. Billie and Daphne want a home and Soretta is grateful for the financial contribution. Teenage Mia is resentful at first…until she realises how much she can help by looking after the animals on the farm. They are soon joined by Lorna Lamerton, an eighty year old former bush nurse looking for a holiday from her son and his wife.

It isn’t long before the women overcome their awkwardness and begin to form strong friendships and attachments. The situation is working out better than any of them could have planned and there’s always someone on hand for advice on medical issues and even the odd romantic challenge. However it’s not until one of the women faces a threat to their life that they show just well they can band together.

Australian rural romance author Fiona McArthur’s latest book invites readers to far west New South Wales and introduces them to a small town which hosts a branch of the Flying Doctor Service. Dr Billie Green has just moved back to the town, which is also where she grew up and is fulfilling a dream working for the FDS. Billie has lived a life moving around, gaining qualifications but not possessions. She and teenage daughter Mia live out of a couple of suitcases and a box full of kitchen necessities.

In no time at all, Billie’s colleague Daphne has organised for herself, Billie and Billie’s daughter Mia to move from their duplex accommodation out to a beautiful old homestead some ten minutes out of town. There the women begin to become friends, settling into roles and working together. Even Mia, resentful at first being made to move out west and then away from town and to the farm, begins to prove her worth. She’s given the job of feeding the lambs and Soretta is no nonsense when it comes to any teenage attitude. Mia is told in no uncertain terms she must be responsible or else – the lambs could die if she ‘can’t be bothered’. Through being given this responsibility and trust, Mia begins to mature and grow, coming to appreciate her surroundings and the role she is developing. I really liked Mia and I think McArthur was quite understated in portraying her character as the disgruntled teen. Mia had moved around a lot and even though she resented having to move out to the homestead, yet another move, it seemed almost immediately that it would be different. This was a place where roots could be put down, where Mia could be given a role, even get a pet in the future. All she needed was a little bit of security and some faith, both in herself and from others in her and she began to really blossom which was good to read.

There’s a huge amount in this story about the role of the FDS and it’s fantastic to read. I’ve lived all my life on the coast, never been further west than Dubbo (and that was only to visit the zoo) so it’s super interesting to read about how the FDS works and the sort of incidents they deal with. There’s a wide range of medical emergencies they might encounter as well as geographic difficulties like finding the landing strip that’s the closest to the person that needs attention. I didn’t know about the oxygen issues with so much time spent in the plane in the beginning either so all of those little tidbits were great info. Although most of the population in Australia does live along the coastlines there are still plenty of remote communities and properties that benefit from this service and the amazing people who campaign to fund it.

Whilst there is a little romance in The Homestead Girls it is really quite subtle. Both Daphne and Billie are struggling with workplace attractions and I really enjoyed reading about Daphne getting some of her self-confidence back and hopefully beginning to put her past behind her and those that had made her feel so bad about herself. I’d have liked a little more romantic interaction for Billie but the focus is really on the women building those friendships and strengthening them at the homestead, as well as the role of the FDS. The women are all well constructed, with insecurities and flaws and made stronger by the growing friendship. I would love it if we saw Soretta and Mia again in the future, I’d love to know what the years to come hold for them.

A really enjoyable and heartwarming story from a must-read author. ...more

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