The Last of the Apple Blossom in Aussie Readers

Jul 25, 2021 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, own-read, 2021-release, aussie-authors, net-galley, debut, 5000-2021, read-on-kindle

Catherine Turner was teaching her grade two students in Hobart, Tasmania on Tuesday February 7th, 1967 鈥� a day which was later dubbed 鈥楤lack Tuesday鈥� 鈥� when the bushfire raged, threatening everything in its path. Once the children were safe, she and Tim, a colleague, headed for the Huon Valley where Catherine鈥檚 home was, where her parents and brother Peter owned their apple orchard. Battling their way through road closures and roaring fire, they finally made it, but it was too late. The homestea Catherine Turner was teaching her grade two students in Hobart, Tasmania on Tuesday February 7th, 1967 鈥� a day which was later dubbed 鈥楤lack Tuesday鈥� 鈥� when the bushfire raged, threatening everything in its path. Once the children were safe, she and Tim, a colleague, headed for the Huon Valley where Catherine鈥檚 home was, where her parents and brother Peter owned their apple orchard. Battling their way through road closures and roaring fire, they finally made it, but it was too late. The homestead was gone and Peter with it鈥�

Catherine鈥檚 best friend and nearby neighbour, Annie Pearson, had just given birth to a baby daughter 鈥� Angela 鈥� after five sons. The bushfire missed their home but did surrounding damage, and they worked hard to bring things to rights. Dave, Annie鈥檚 husband, had his best mate, Mark helping out, while Mark鈥檚 small son, Charlie played with the boys. Mark and Charlie had moved from Melbourne when Mark鈥檚 wife disappeared, and Charlie loved it in the country with his new friends.

As all the apple orchards in the Huon Valley struggled after the bushfires, doing everything they could to bring the orchards back to being viable again, many of them couldn鈥檛 continue. But Catherine and her father worked hard and although it took more years than they鈥檇 hoped, the orchard came back. But what about Catherine鈥檚 future? She was in her mid-twenties and the orchard was her only life. She wasn鈥檛 aware of the many secrets surrounding her, but they would shatter her when she found out鈥�

The Last of the Apple Blossom is the debut novel by Aussie author Mary-Lou Stephens and I loved it. The research by the author has obviously been meticulous and is confirmed by her notes at the end. I was deeply involved with the characters and their lives, intrigued by what had gone on before and how things would evolve. The horror of the bushfires is something that never fades, and in Australia it happens often. My husband was in Tasmania when Black Tuesday occurred and he was able to tell me a little about it. I have no hesitation is recommending The Last of the Apple Blossom and look forward to Ms Stephens next novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

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Jul 23, 2021 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-copy-from-netgalley

This is a beautiful story of friendship, secrets, heartbreak and hope, beautifully written, we get to meet two women Catherine and Annie and journey with them and their families through years of change, I do hope that you will pick this one up and come along for the journey I am sure you will love it as I have.

Catherine Turner grew up on an apple orchard in the Huon Valley in Tasmania, these days she is teaching at a small school in Hobart it is February 1967 and a lot of the state is burning in This is a beautiful story of friendship, secrets, heartbreak and hope, beautifully written, we get to meet two women Catherine and Annie and journey with them and their families through years of change, I do hope that you will pick this one up and come along for the journey I am sure you will love it as I have.

Catherine Turner grew up on an apple orchard in the Huon Valley in Tasmania, these days she is teaching at a small school in Hobart it is February 1967 and a lot of the state is burning in the worst ever bushfires. Catherine after making sure her pupils are safe makes a dash for home only to find that the orchard and house are destroyed and her young brother lost to the fires. Catherine vows to get the orchard back up and running even if her father says it will never be run by a female.

Annie Pearson, neighbour and best friend to Catherine is married to Dave and they run a successful apple orchard that has been in the family for generations they are parents to five boys and now the parents of a beautiful wanted and loved daughter. There is a lot of work to be done to repair the damage done by the fires and Dave鈥檚 best friend and his young son Charlie are helping with it all. Mark has moved his family to get a break from life but his wife vanishes and Mark and Charlie stay on.

It is not long before Catherine and Charlie are making friends, after spending time in the packing sheds at apple season this means that Mark and Catherine are spending a lot of time together as well and they are becoming friends but that will bring only scandal as Mark is married even if his wife cannot be found. Annie is not happy that Mark and Charlie are still living at the orchard either, she is keeping a secret that she wants no one to know.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from page one, I loved getting to know Catherine and Annie both such strong women who fought for what they wanted, this really is an emotional story that had me cheering for their strength and courage. This story looks at the collapse of the apple industry in Tasmania and the changes in the area around these times with the hippies moving in. But is a story that takes in tragedy, heartbreak, loss, secrets and the hope that life will go on, that changes need to be made and that love will be there. There were tears from me happy and sad as I was pulled into their journey, I highly recommend this debut story it is a must read that I loved from start to finish.

My thanks to the publisher Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review
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Aug 08, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-are, provided-by-publisher, aussie-author

The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens is a sweeping Australian tale that begins in 1967 as bushfires ravage southern Tasmania. Braving smoke and flames, school teacher Catherine Turner rushes from Hobart to her family鈥檚 apple orchard in the Huon Valley, devastated to find her younger brother has been killed and their crop razed. Despite her father鈥檚 objections to women working the land, Catherine is determined to contribute to reestablishing the orchard.

The dramatic start to The Las The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens is a sweeping Australian tale that begins in 1967 as bushfires ravage southern Tasmania. Braving smoke and flames, school teacher Catherine Turner rushes from Hobart to her family鈥檚 apple orchard in the Huon Valley, devastated to find her younger brother has been killed and their crop razed. Despite her father鈥檚 objections to women working the land, Catherine is determined to contribute to reestablishing the orchard.

The dramatic start to The Last of the Apple Blossom immediately captured my attention, and it held as Catherine fought for the future she wanted in an era where women were allowed few options. All Catherine has ever wanted is to work alongside her father in the orchard, and eventually take over the running of it. That her dad denies her the opportunity is a continual source of frustration and sadness for Catherine which Stephens portrays well. I admired Catherine鈥檚 determination and resilience.

Stephens also gives voice to two other characters. Annie, Catherine鈥檚 neighbour and closest friend, is a loving wife and busy mother. After five boys, she finally has the daughter she鈥檚 always longed for but she harbours a secret she is terrified will tear her family apart. I guessed what Annie was hiding easily, but there was suspense involved in waiting for it to be discovered. Mark, and his young son Charlie, are guests of Annie鈥檚 husband. Mark has an interesting background, which throws up challenges when he and Catherine develop a romantic relationship.

I found the history, and operation, of the apple growing industry in Tasmania to be surprisingly interesting. Stephens deftly integrates fact gleaned from her meticulous research into the story, and honours the contribution of the industry to Australia.

Well-written, I felt the author captured the setting beautifully, vivid description led me through a landscape scarred by fire, and under shady trees laden with apples. Much of the story takes place during the 1960鈥檚 and 1970鈥檚 and the attitudes of the era are accurately represented.

A story of family, love, tragedy, and resilience, The Last of the Apple Blossom is an engaging, accomplished debut novel. ...more

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Aug 28, 2021 Tien marked it as maybe-not · review of another edition

Shelves: australia, australian-author, womens-lit

DNF at halfway...

Beautiful book but right now (end of 2nd month of lockdown), I needed a read that's snappy or funny or just plain happy which this book ain't. Too much heartaches for which I'm sure I would normally be fine with as I believe there is a beautiful warm & hopeful ending but at the moment, I just can't put myself through the hard times :/

My apologies & thanks to The Book Stack* for this paperback copy of the book

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Jun 09, 2021 Janine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-review, net-galley

Such an engaging and interesting family story this book was. Catherine Turner is a young schoolteacher in Hobart and comes from an apple growing family in the Huon Valley. Her dream is to take over the orchard that her family runs when her father retires. He does not agree and wants her younger brother to take over. Her younger brother has no desire to take over the property and wants to study to be a Vet.
Tragedy strikes when bushfires rip through the area leaving devastation in their wake, taki Such an engaging and interesting family story this book was. Catherine Turner is a young schoolteacher in Hobart and comes from an apple growing family in the Huon Valley. Her dream is to take over the orchard that her family runs when her father retires. He does not agree and wants her younger brother to take over. Her younger brother has no desire to take over the property and wants to study to be a Vet.
Tragedy strikes when bushfires rip through the area leaving devastation in their wake, taking the life of her brother. She immediately resigns her position and returns home to help her family.
Its also the story of Catherine鈥檚 best friend Annie and her husband and family who live on the next property. Annie is originally from a well to do Tasmanian family but has been shunned by her parents as she was pregnant and married out of her class. She is now the mother of 6 children (5 boys and 1 girl) finally getting the much-wanted daughter after 5 boys. She is extremely protective of the little girl and will not let her out of her sight. Dave鈥檚 best friend Mark also is living on the property with his young son to help them out after the devastating bushfires. They are all harboring secrets which threaten to change their lives forever.
This book is based on real life events that occurred in the 1960鈥檚 in Tasmania when the orchards were burnt, and the author did a great job of describing what farmers went through at that time and the lack of support from the government which forced many to have to cut their losses and sell up. It also highlighted the 1970鈥檚 when hippies came to Tasmania wanting a new life and happy to live off the land.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and it is always great when you learn something while reading a book, I had no idea that Tasmania went through these terrible times and even now their export market has been cut and people have had to diversify their crops to make ends meet.
Mary-Lou is a graduate of Fiona McIntosh鈥檚 masterclass and for a debut novel I was so impressed that I can鈥檛 wait to see what else comes from this new Australian author. 5* from me.
Thanks go to Net Galley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.
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Sep 27, 2021 Marg rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club, awwc-2021

Recently my friend has started a new bookclub. It is something we have tried to do for a while now, but it never worked out, so this time she put a call out on Meet-Up and has bought together a group of people who share a desire to read but are otherwise a group of strangers. Well, other than the two of us who already know each other.

I was really keen to have this be a read-on-a-theme bookclub rather than nominating a specific book to read, although we may also do that on occasion. The theme for Recently my friend has started a new bookclub. It is something we have tried to do for a while now, but it never worked out, so this time she put a call out on Meet-Up and has bought together a group of people who share a desire to read but are otherwise a group of strangers. Well, other than the two of us who already know each other.

I was really keen to have this be a read-on-a-theme bookclub rather than nominating a specific book to read, although we may also do that on occasion. The theme for this time was Spring and I chose to read The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens because blossoms mean spring right? It was a book that I already had on my ereader as a review copy and it also counts for Weekend Cooking - it's a triple whammy!

The story opens on 7 February 1967, a day known as Black Tuesday in Tasmania. On that day, there were horrific bushfires in and around Hobart and many people were killed, injured or made homeless.

I count myself very lucky to have never been too close to a bushfire. The closest was a few years ago when there was a grass fire a couple of suburbs away and we were instructed to evacuate. As an Australian, every summer we dread the days when the news headlines start with stories of bushfires raging, of the volunteer fire fighters risking their own lives to try and save the homes and towns of others, of heartbreaking stories of homes lost or even worse, lives. Whilst I haven't personally been affected, I know people who know people who have lost it all. And we have all smelt the smoky air as it drifts across the country, felt the gloom descend and the pride that we feel in those people on the front line who give so much of themselves to help others.

The first few pages of this book were gripping as the author took us into the face of these horrendous fires in Hobart. The fear and the panic, the desperate need to get back to your family, and the heartbreaking moment when you realise that you have lost significant parts of your livelihood or heritage, and, even worse, members of your family. It was so well written, I could feel the tension, fear and the heat.

Our main character is Catherine Turner, a young teacher who grew up on her family's apple orchard in the Huon Valley. As the fires spread Catherine makes is charged with supervising the children who can't get back to their families due to the fires closing in. As soon as she is able, she makes the somewhat reckless, actually make that very reckless, decision to try to get home to her family's orchard. The roads are closed, and she and her friend are told not to proceed, but they do and in doing so they place themselves in the path of danger.

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Aug 11, 2021 Bree T rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, arc, aww2021, historical-fiction

It is not for nothing that Tasmania is nicknamed the Apple Isle. Catherine grew up on an apple orchard and she loves it and the work and would like nothing more than to take it over from her parents. However her father is a traditional man and declared it impossible, saying that her younger brother would work the orchard even though his dreams lay elsewhere. When tragedy strikes in the fire, Catherine can still not convince her parents of her capabilities and so she takes a local teaching job ne It is not for nothing that Tasmania is nicknamed the Apple Isle. Catherine grew up on an apple orchard and she loves it and the work and would like nothing more than to take it over from her parents. However her father is a traditional man and declared it impossible, saying that her younger brother would work the orchard even though his dreams lay elsewhere. When tragedy strikes in the fire, Catherine can still not convince her parents of her capabilities and so she takes a local teaching job nearby so that she can contribute as much as possible, even though her father won鈥檛 allow her to assume the reins. Nearby Catherine鈥檚 friend Annie has a new baby, one in a long line of children she鈥檚 produced and for all the orchardists, times are tough.

There was a lot about this story that I enjoyed. I found Catherine a really resourceful character, smart and sensible and very dedicated to her family orchard. To be honest, more dedicated than her often-ungrateful parents often deserved. I did try to cut them some slack, as they did experience the sort of terrible grief that no one should but the casual cruelty displayed towards Catherine at times, with unkind words and thoughts voiced that should never be, it was often hard to continue to feel sympathetic towards them. At one stage, I wouldn鈥檛 have blamed Catherine if she鈥檇 simply packed a bag and left, never to return. But she didn鈥檛 do that, she continued to stay on, her teaching money going towards the farm and helping out whenever and wherever she could. I enjoyed Annie鈥檚 story a bit less, because there were certain decisions that she made that I couldn鈥檛 really connect with. I could understand why she had done them but to be honest, I鈥檓 in two minds as to whether or not it was right, and the way she did it felt very wrong. Grief is a powerful thing and it can make people do uncharacteristic things and Annie was somewhat desperate. But there were times when I felt like her actions were so incredibly self-serving and she did not care what she did to other people in the fallout and even when it鈥檚 discovered and she鈥檚 called out on it, she shows no remorse and often takes the high road.

Catherine meets Mark, a man who is married but with a wife that has again, disappeared. Mark and Catherine strike up a friendship over her kindness to Mark鈥檚 son Charlie, a boy who desperately needs some female kindness in his life. Because of Mark鈥檚 situation as well as the somewhat conservative time, their relationship must remain a platonic friendship and it does, even though the locals often have a lot of gossip and salacious assumptions about what is really going on. There鈥檚 a time when Mark and Catherine feel they are finally free to be together, only to be brought back down to earth in the worst way. And then Catherine discovers a secret that has been kept from her by some of the people she thought were closest to her and it really shakes her faith in a future with Mark.

There鈥檚 a lot of really interesting stuff in this about orchards in Tasmania and the challenges that were faced during this time. Farming is such a thankless task sometimes and all farmers are beholden to the weather: in Tasmania some of the threats include the bushfires, hail, excess rain, etc all weather events beyond control but the isolation of the island also means that export can come at great expense and changing markets sent prices of certain types of apples plummeting. At one stage, the Tasmanian government offered a cash reward for every apple tree removed so that the land could be put to a different type of use. There are varieties of apples referenced in here that I鈥檝e never heard of and I really enjoyed reading about the changing times of the local area, even though some of it was a bit depressing as the apple growers struggled to break even and make a living. That鈥檚 the harsh reality though and both Catherine and Annie and their respective orchards showed the different choices some people could make in an attempt to keep afloat.

I have to admit, the romance was just so-so for me, thankfully it wasn鈥檛 a hugely invasive part of the story although it simmered in the background and the secret was enough that I could understand Catherine鈥檚 shock and feelings of betrayal. But the most interesting parts were those that revolved around Catherine鈥檚 journey to be accepted by her parents as a viable option for running the family orchard and the decisions involved with trying to stay afloat and turn a profit as the market changed and there were extra challenges to overcome. And I did really quite like the ending.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

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