A sweeping saga of lost love and tangled family secrets in the beautiful Victorian countryside. When your world falls apart the only person you can depend on is your sister. The three Chirnwell sisters are descended from the privileged squattocracy in Victoria's Western District – but could a long–held secret threaten their family? Harriett Chirnwell has a perfect life – a husband who loves her, a successful career and a daughter who is destined to become a doctor just like her. Xara has always lived in Harriet's shadow; her chaotic life with her family on their sheep farm falls far short of her older sister's standards of perfection and prestige. Georgie, the youngest sister and a passionate teacher, is the only one of the three to have left Billawarre. But is her life in Melbourne happy? All three sisters have a different and sometimes strained bond with their mother. Despite this, they come together to organise a party for her milestone birthday – the first since their father's death. But when Edwina arrives at her party on the arm of another man, the tumult is like a dam finally breaking. Suddenly the lives of the Chirnwell sisters are flooded by scandal. Criminal accusations, a daughter in crisis and a secret over fifty years in the making start to crack the perfect facade of the prominent pastoral family. A thought provoking novel about family expectations, secrets and lies.
