The Watervale Ladies' Writing & Firefighting Society
Mette Menzies
Reviewed by Helen
This is a beautiful and moving story about starting over in Watervale Downs a small country town in the heart of wine country in South Australia, four woman all so very different take up a course for writing that changes their lives, come along and meet them.
Matilda “Tilly” Marr is an international lawyer doing her best to make partner in her father’s firm she travels the world but when she is told by her father to drop the case she is working on and make her way to Watervale Downs to convince a local to sell her property for billions she is not happy at all but arrives in this small town and is soon known at the new solicitor and instead of a week is there for a month.
Bev Jackson matriarch of the town her huge property has been in her family for one hundred and fifty years and when a smart young lawyer arrives to do her best to convince her to sell, Bev sets Tilly a task stay for a month then she will discuss her offer.
Jane Robertson, the local librarian grew up in Watervale Downs her and her husband Tom who is a journalist have wanted a family of their own but sadly that has not happened and Jane is heartbroken but carries on as if all is good but she also has dreams of writing a book.
Fenna De Vries Fallen TV star she used to have her own gardening show but that has been cancelled and she has also walked away from a terrible marriage and has made her home on a property in Watervale Downs but making friends for Fenna is very hard.
These four woman come together at a writing course run by Viv who pulls them in to learning all about firefighting as well but this course brings them together in so many ways they are all soon confronting things from their past for Bev it is a secret that has been kept for sixty years, will Fenna decide that staying here and becoming part of the community is what she wants and Jane must now really think about her future and look to a different one and Tilly is the high flying lawyer is this the job she really wants or is it to live in Watervale Downs with the gorgeous barista the life that is best for her?
This is such a moving story, one that pulled me in getting to know these woman was fabulous, I felt their emotions the story is so well written, this story made me smile and cry it is heartfelt and uplifting and one I highly recommend, to any lover of a good story, it is truly a gorgeous story,
My thanks to the author and Harper Collins for my copy to read and review.
Matilda “Tilly” Marr is an international lawyer doing her best to make partner in her father’s firm she travels the world but when she is told by her father to drop the case she is working on and make her way to Watervale Downs to convince a local to sell her property for billions she is not happy at all but arrives in this small town and is soon known at the new solicitor and instead of a week is there for a month.
Bev Jackson matriarch of the town her huge property has been in her family for one hundred and fifty years and when a smart young lawyer arrives to do her best to convince her to sell, Bev sets Tilly a task stay for a month then she will discuss her offer.
Jane Robertson, the local librarian grew up in Watervale Downs her and her husband Tom who is a journalist have wanted a family of their own but sadly that has not happened and Jane is heartbroken but carries on as if all is good but she also has dreams of writing a book.
Fenna De Vries Fallen TV star she used to have her own gardening show but that has been cancelled and she has also walked away from a terrible marriage and has made her home on a property in Watervale Downs but making friends for Fenna is very hard.
These four woman come together at a writing course run by Viv who pulls them in to learning all about firefighting as well but this course brings them together in so many ways they are all soon confronting things from their past for Bev it is a secret that has been kept for sixty years, will Fenna decide that staying here and becoming part of the community is what she wants and Jane must now really think about her future and look to a different one and Tilly is the high flying lawyer is this the job she really wants or is it to live in Watervale Downs with the gorgeous barista the life that is best for her?
This is such a moving story, one that pulled me in getting to know these woman was fabulous, I felt their emotions the story is so well written, this story made me smile and cry it is heartfelt and uplifting and one I highly recommend, to any lover of a good story, it is truly a gorgeous story,
My thanks to the author and Harper Collins for my copy to read and review.
5 stars
September 1, 2025 by HarperCollins AU
