The Jam Queens
Josephine Moon
Reviewed by Helen
Another awesome story from Josephine Moon filled with women from a strong family, a family that also needs to work through a few problems all while making me want to taste the beautiful jams these Queens are making. This story had me from page one as we get to know Aggie, Myrtle, Valeria, Holly and Dolce and take a trip on the Ghan, sit back and enjoy this fabulous story because you will not want to put it down.
Aggie runs a small café Strawberry Sonnets in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, her hope is one day that she will buy it from her Great Aunt Myrtle and own it herself, she has a strained relationship with her mother Valeria but is thrilled that at the moment her daughter Holly is home from her teacher position in The States and Myrtle’s best friend Dolce make up this fabulous group of woman.
Aggie has been through a rough patch lately enduring unsuccessful IVF treatments that played a part in her ended relationship, she is making jam for the next Adelaide show when she receives a phone call that her mother is in hospital they have not been on speaking terms for a while but she runs to help and with Valeria’s seventieth birthday coming up Myrtle organises a trip from Darwin to Adelaide on the famous Ghan train for them all, Aggie is unsure at first but is hoping that being together will bring her mother closer.
As the train travels through desert, greenery and beautiful skies these woman have things from their past the come to the surface and there is a lot of opening up not always making each other happy, emotions run high and feelings are hurt, for Aggie there are problems for her café at home and the attraction she feels to a fellow passenger Harry on the train and the worry about her daughter Holly makes for a very interesting trip.
This is such a great story, taking in family and the ups and downs they go through, it was emotional and moving and I thought Aggies was so lovely inside and out, she is caring and strong after all that she has been through and I loved Myrtle and Dolce what a team and Holly shows such strength and the Valeria set in her ways and stubborn but not too old to learn. This is a story that I highly recommend beautifully written, heartwarming and a page turner, and the food side is again so very good and yummy and I must have a Jamtini cocktail one day. I must also say that the train trip I loved so much MS Moon made me feel like I was travelling and visiting the towns along the way. This one is another keeper.
My thanks to Penguin AUS for my ARC to read and review
Aggie runs a small café Strawberry Sonnets in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, her hope is one day that she will buy it from her Great Aunt Myrtle and own it herself, she has a strained relationship with her mother Valeria but is thrilled that at the moment her daughter Holly is home from her teacher position in The States and Myrtle’s best friend Dolce make up this fabulous group of woman.
Aggie has been through a rough patch lately enduring unsuccessful IVF treatments that played a part in her ended relationship, she is making jam for the next Adelaide show when she receives a phone call that her mother is in hospital they have not been on speaking terms for a while but she runs to help and with Valeria’s seventieth birthday coming up Myrtle organises a trip from Darwin to Adelaide on the famous Ghan train for them all, Aggie is unsure at first but is hoping that being together will bring her mother closer.
As the train travels through desert, greenery and beautiful skies these woman have things from their past the come to the surface and there is a lot of opening up not always making each other happy, emotions run high and feelings are hurt, for Aggie there are problems for her café at home and the attraction she feels to a fellow passenger Harry on the train and the worry about her daughter Holly makes for a very interesting trip.
This is such a great story, taking in family and the ups and downs they go through, it was emotional and moving and I thought Aggies was so lovely inside and out, she is caring and strong after all that she has been through and I loved Myrtle and Dolce what a team and Holly shows such strength and the Valeria set in her ways and stubborn but not too old to learn. This is a story that I highly recommend beautifully written, heartwarming and a page turner, and the food side is again so very good and yummy and I must have a Jamtini cocktail one day. I must also say that the train trip I loved so much MS Moon made me feel like I was travelling and visiting the towns along the way. This one is another keeper.
My thanks to Penguin AUS for my ARC to read and review
5 stars
Expected publication: April 13th 2021 by Penguin AUS
