A Remarkable Woman
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- €5.99
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- €5.99
Publisher Description
From postwar Paris to Australia to find love, fashion and freedom
One woman's quest to follow her head, and her heart.
Twenty-six-year-old Frenchwoman Avril Montdidier sails from Paris to Australia with a suitcase and a dream: to start her own fashion business.
1950s Melbourne is very different from the chic atelier of Dior where Avril once worked, but she is determined, courageous and resourceful.
When personal circumstances force her to flee Melbourne, she travels to a cattle station in southern Queensland to work as a governess. It is here Avril meets Tim: the eldest son of her benefactor and heir to Monaghan Station.
Avril must grapple with her twin desires - her love for Tim, who is set to marry someone else, and her yearning for independence.
Praise for A Remarkable Woman
'Delightful! Fashion, French culture and sweeping Australian landscapes - what's not to love! A glorious nod to the strong migrant women who made their mark on the place they chose to call home - Australia. A fascinating look at the burgeoning cultural and fashion scene of Melbourne in the 1950s set against the vast, rugged and magnificent landscapes of Queensland's Darling Downs and the quintessential Australian experience of life on the land.' - Tania Blanchard
'An enchanting, uplifting story of a formidable woman and an impossible choice. A love letter to the pioneering women of the last generation, rich with its historical setting and enticing cast of characters.' - Sally Hepworth
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Author Jules Van Mil’s long career in fashion informs this historical novel, set partly against the fashion industry of 1950s Melbourne. A Remarkable Woman follows Avril Montdidier, who leaves post-war France for Australia at age 26 to break into that competitive field. She also does a stint in the Queensland outback, providing a stark contrast to everything she has known before. But the real tension is whether to stick to her longtime dream career or settle down with the man she’s come to love. A heartening story of balancing young romance with creative determination, this book recreates not just bygone eras and settings, but that pivotal moment when someone’s whole future hinges on a crucial choice.
