by Kimberley Freeman (Get the Book)When Beattie Blaxland finds herself pregnant in 1930s Glasgow, she thinks the worst that can happen is that her married lover, Henry, will abandoned her. Instead, he runs away with her to Australia, where he drinks, gambles, and abuses her, all the while doting on their daughter, Lucy. Determined to have a better life, Beattie runs away to Tasmania, where she and Lucy make a rocky start at Wildflower Hill, a large sheep ranch badly managed by a sinister English gentleman. In present-day London, Beattie's granddaughter, Emma, a driven ballet dancer, suffers her own setbacks, which propel her home to her family in Australia. There she learns her grandmother left an unwelcome inheritance that changes her life. Despite its length, this first novel moves swiftly through secrets, forbidden love, and heartbreak, revealing two strong female protagonists and appealing secondary characters, especially the two men who work at Wildflower Hill with Beattie. Fans of multigenerational family sagas (like those of Kate Morton and Colleen McCullough) who are attracted by hardscrabble, romantic settings will eat it up. --Booklist
