Klara is a talented but highly strung pianist, while Adela turns out to be a gifted photographer who eventually makes a career in film. The girls flee to Australia to live in safety with their uncle and his wife, and things go smoothly enough. It’s the story of two Czech sisters, Adela and Klara, whose nefarious stepfather murders their mother – and plans to murder them too so that he and his fancy woman can have their inheritance. The Silver Wattle is a straightforward narrative with an utterly predictable plot but as an audio book en route to work it held my interest for a fortnight or so. It flowed like a radio play! Historical genre readers will love this.

Her transition from Australian to European, male to female was outstanding. I ended up listening to it after my mum said it was one of her favourite books, narrated by the talented Caroline Lee. This novel is full of family love, the fierce bond of sisterhood, love both realised and unrequited, mixed in with a little of the spiritual realm.Ī large undertaking and many layers, a book I am glad I finally read as it was one of my first on my Goodreads list. The girls were both talented women, Klára an amazing pianist and her older sister a photographer who becomes enamoured with the movie industry. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, so this was a different kind of read for me, but I did enjoy the vividness and imagery of music, animals, and clothing as this was set in the 1920’s.

These descriptions are always lush and vivid, it’s evident the author herself is a keen traveller and loves animals. The author presents a grand multi layered story which takes us over more than one continent, from the home the girls loved in Prague, all the way to Australia where their uncle has settled after spending most of his life travelling the globe. She must take extra care of her younger and more sensitive sister, Klára. The sisters love each other deeply, and as their dear mum passes away, the message is loud and clear for big sister Adéla. To me this marriage was fraught, I’m not sure why their mother chose this lazy and manipulative fraudster.

Their mother remarried somewhat unwisely this man is a greedy villain and will not stop until he can get his hands on the family money. The only thing missing is their beloved father, who had previously passed away. Sisters Adéla and Klára live a charmed life in Europe, with their loving mother.

Silver Wattle by Belinda Alexandra