The Road Home in Aussie Readers

Jan 02, 2012 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-authors

Lara and Noah Turner had a wonderful childhood, growing up on their parents’ farm, ‘Erindale’ in Western Australia. They both loved farm life, and couldn’t imagine anything else. But Lara’s Mum was adamant they wanted more for Lara, and she was forced to go to Perth to boarding school, to study and make something special of herself. All the while, Noah got to remain at the farm, and go to the local school.

And so she settled into Perth, and began to do what her parents wished for her. She would Lara and Noah Turner had a wonderful childhood, growing up on their parents’ farm, ‘Erindale’ in Western Australia. They both loved farm life, and couldn’t imagine anything else. But Lara’s Mum was adamant they wanted more for Lara, and she was forced to go to Perth to boarding school, to study and make something special of herself. All the while, Noah got to remain at the farm, and go to the local school.

And so she settled into Perth, and began to do what her parents wished for her. She would drive back to the farm in her faithful Commodore every so often to visit, and always had a great time catching up with the family. But when tragedy struck, grief and devastation were part of her life, and she couldn’t go back to the farm...the memories were too much to handle.

But when Noah rang her in the city and asked her to visit for the weekend, as he needed to talk to her, she hesitated, but after a recent break with a boyfriend, she decided it was time. She wanted to go home to the place of her childhood.

On arrival at ‘Erindale’, shearing was in full swing, so she waited until Noah was free. In the meantime she met Noah’s best mate, Jack Morgan, a Kiwi with bitter memories of the falling out with his family, and the loss of his family farm in New Zealand. To say he had a chip on his shoulder was an understatement!

The proposition from Noah regarding ‘Erindale’ lead to Lara changing her career path, a decision she was unsure on, but once it was made, she felt much happier than she had in a long time. It also caused friction and conflict between Jack and Lara, although she wasn’t sure about the ‘why’. They seemed to have a powerful attraction toward each other, but were forever at odds....

The indepth tales of the neighbours, the dramas of farming life, the problems, be they large or small, the friendliness of the locals, the love and healing qualities of the land, the magnificent scenery throughout the bush, and the amazing sunsets were all part of this book, and at times, I felt like I was actually there, viewing the sunset myself, or relaxing after a hard day with a welcome beer, while perched in the back of the ute!

A very enjoyable read, definitely recommended.
...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian, kindle-version, romance, women-s-fiction, aww2012, rural-lit

Lara Turner grew up on a farm in rural Western Australia until she went to high school. Although she wanted to stay on the farm, her parents had other plans for their girl and she went to the city for boarding school, stayed for university and then got herself a job with a finance company. When her parents died, their assets were split between Lara and her brother Noah, with Noah getting the farm and Lara getting the Perth house. Lara worked in the city for a couple of years, returning home rare Lara Turner grew up on a farm in rural Western Australia until she went to high school. Although she wanted to stay on the farm, her parents had other plans for their girl and she went to the city for boarding school, stayed for university and then got herself a job with a finance company. When her parents died, their assets were split between Lara and her brother Noah, with Noah getting the farm and Lara getting the Perth house. Lara worked in the city for a couple of years, returning home rarely after the loss of her parents until Noah calls her and asks her to come down so he can talk to her.

Noah wants to sell the farm. He’s getting married and his father-in-law to be has offered him their cattle farm, which is the sort of farm Noah wants to run. He despises sheep, but he has to run them on the family property in order to balance the books. Lara is devastated when Noah confesses he wants to sell – this is her family home. She decides that she wants to sell the Perth house and buy Noah out of the farm and make a go of it herself. She knows that she has to try and save the farm, to keep it in their family. Lara knows it’s not going to be easy – things have been hard in recent years and there’s no money to hire any help. Lara will have to be mostly going it alone, trying to get everything done on time and the bills paid. This proves to be harder than she first imagined when there’s a few discrepancies with large sums of money.

Jack Morgan is one of Noah’s best mates. He’s a Kiwi who came over to work in Australia and stayed. He works on a nearby farm but he often helps out and Noah has asked him to keep an eye on Lara now that Noah is off to his future in-laws. Jack and Lara have a simmering attraction between them but Lara is surprised by Jack’s brusque manner and standoffishness when she moves back to the farm. Previously he’d been quite…friendly. She wonders exactly what the chip on his shoulder is all about and why it seems to be directed solely at her.

The Road Home is a comforting novel that embraces the land and finding your true home. Lara’s a well developed character – when we meet her, she’s suitably ‘citified’, working in Perth as a financial planner, dressing in beautiful clothes with her nails done. When her brother recalls her to the family farm for a chat – a place that has become somewhere Lara has visited rarely since the death of her parents – she’s also reeling from a love affair gone wrong. She finds herself dissatisfied with her job and the fact that she was made to leave the farm for a better education, something her mother always rued that she herself didn’t complete before moving to the farm. It seems like the stars are all aligning for Lara – Noah wants to sell and she has discovered that she’s ready to move back home and farm the land herself.

She knows it isn’t going to be easy and she’s lucky that most of the local community are quite supportive. She expected support from her brother’s friend Jack but instead she gets some snide remarks and hostility. Lara is confused but doubly determined to prove herself and make people see that she isn’t just some city blow in – she belongs here. The evolution of Lara from well groomed 9-5 working girl to jeans-and-boots farm girl isn’t just physical one. She relaxes, she enjoys her challenges, even when things aren’t exactly going right for her, what she is doing still feels right inside. She is content, settled within herself now that she is back ‘home’. She also begins to deal with her parents death in a way that she couldn’t whilst she was still living in the city.

Jack is very enjoyable character and I really loved the ‘differences’ in him – his Kiwi heritage and Maori tats, his gentle nature. He has his reasons for being a bit short with Lara that she isn’t privy to but the reader is and his attitude, whilst a little bit childish is also understandable. I thought they had good chemistry and the pacing of the evolution of their relationship was well done. No instalove here, just a good gentle build-up of attraction and feelings, even when there’s a little adversity in there too!

The Road Home is a lovely addition to the genre of rural lit that is growing in popularity enormously in Australia of late. The characters are strong and developed, from the main ones down to the smallest supporting ones and the passion for the land shines through and gives a very good indication of just what it might be like to try and make a go of farming. It’s the first book I’ve read by Fiona Palmer but she has two previous novels that I’ll be adding to my TBR list. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Tarran rated it really liked it

I haven't read much outback fiction so I didn't know what to expect. To be truthful I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I was wrong. I loved it! I couldn't stop reading Fiona's book. Her novel was about the struggle of a country girl who was sent to the city as a teenager who now returns to run the family farm. Lara Turner faces opposition as she struggles to learn how to run a farm. Jack Morgan - a man with past is best friends with Lara's brother and tries to deny his attraction to Lara.

All ...more

Like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

The Road Home is an enjoyable story about love – love for family, for the land and for the right guy. After the tragic death of her parents, Lara couldn’t bear to return to the family farm and remained in the city, fulfilling her parents wish to succeed in her career as a financial planner. But when her brother reveals his intent to sell the farm Lara is horrified and at a crossroads in her own life, decides to return home to run it herself.

Fiona Palmer’s familiarity with farming in country West The Road Home is an enjoyable story about love – love for family, for the land and for the right guy. After the tragic death of her parents, Lara couldn’t bear to return to the family farm and remained in the city, fulfilling her parents wish to succeed in her career as a financial planner. But when her brother reveals his intent to sell the farm Lara is horrified and at a crossroads in her own life, decides to return home to run it herself.

Fiona Palmer’s familiarity with farming in country Western Australia gives The Road Home a wonderful sense of authenticity. From the sweat and smell of the shearing shed to the hard yakka of repairing property fences, the reader gets an idea of what farming in this region is all about. Life on a farm might be hard work but it also has it’s compensations for those who love it, like the stunning sunsets Lara witnesses and the sense of accomplishment from achieving a difficult task. I think Palmer’s own passion for the land bleeds into the story, her descriptions are vivid and honest, just as her characters are.

I found Lara an admirable heroine, once she sets her mind to something she is determined to see it through with the minimum of fuss. Taking on the farm after more than a decades absence was a brave decision and I thought her motivation was credible though I would not have found the story as convincing if Lara didn’t have prior experience with the way of life.
Unusually, Lara’s love interest in The Road Home, is not the Australian cowboy I was expecting but a Kiwi (ie from New Zealand). Jack is an appealing character (a washboard stomach and manly muscles will do it for me every time), with a tragic history of his own. Their romance has the requisite misunderstandings and obstacles but what I most appreciated about the relationship between Lara and Jack was that the author resisted making Jack Lara’s saviour, and Lara’s independence is not compromised by her desire for Jack.

The Road Home is distinctly Australian, from the description of the land to the genuine dialogue that doesn’t shy away from the everyday colloquialisms of our language. I found the novel well written and a quick and engaging read.

The third contemporary rural romance to be published from Fiona Palmer, The Road Home is a heartwarming and enjoyable story. Though this is the first of her books I have read it, but it won’t be the last. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Helen rated it really liked it

A very good story set on a farm in Western Australia and the struggles that Lara has to make and of course the pull between Jack the hero with the great caring nature but who needs to learn to love again.
I really enjoyed this one

Like · see review