Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By J.H. Fletcher, Mira, $29.99.
It’s a matter that requires resolution: Tessa Anderson is intrepid, but has a life of adventure lost her the man she loves? As a journalist, Thea’s life of daring has been one of endless danger.
It’s a compelling novel that literally starts off with a bang when a bomb goes off. A well-known author, Thea was in a Sydney café when she was lifted from her chair and hurled against the wall at the back of the room. She makes a superhuman effort to free a young American woman who is trapped under a heavy beam with her leg being pinned down. The injured woman is the daughter of a renowned US senator. That simple, but courageous gesture has consequences.
Tessa had made her name with coverage of the Kennedy assassination and then in the field during the Vietnam War. Bold and dangerous feats have always been a part of her life. Even her childhood, where she and her mother were forced to flee Malaya in the fish-stinking hold of a junk in the dying days of colonialism were fraught with peril. She has been told, more than once, that she was born lucky and looking back on her life there have been times it seems that may be true.
For a time it seemed she would find safe harbour in Tasmania with winemaker Peter Torrance, but her restless spirit could not be contained. Thea’s ambition was to travel the world as a foreign correspondent, but Peter’s dedication to his family vineyard in a blue gum valley, meant their love may likely fail.
Thea is a complex mixture of sensitivity and assertiveness. As death stalks her, the job leads her further into peril. Then a return to Tasmania opens the door to a new and exciting career … and the possibility of second chances. Enchanting!
