Temperance

Author Annie Browne's riveting plot and well-drawn characters delve into social and religious issues facing Australia and New Zealand, beginning when the cuckoo-clock chimes away the final minutes of 1899, starting the new millennium. You will meet Tottie and Dan, a married farming couple living in Australia who are on the cusp of changing circumstances. It is a tense time, which is relatable in today's society.

Discover the world of social change affecting this family torn between living in Australia close to family or migrating to New Zealand where family support is not available. Uprooting a family to go gold mining is a financial risk, but other opportunities exist in the pioneering fruit growing industry in Central Otago. Meanwhile, unfair social norms and issues from the last century need addressing, and Tottie is a woman who pushes for fair rights for women, including fighting for temperance. She argues for abstinence from alcoholic drinks after recognising the effects of abuse within her family and the community in which she lives.

The beginning of the 20th century is a time of rapid social and economic change. World War One is affecting families, the workforce and the economy. Hopes and aspirations are unmet, but as this new century begins, change is needed as the workforce loses its workers to fight in WW1. In addition, the women take on different responsibilities in the community and receive the right to vote, influencing the following generation up to the beginning of 1920.

Temperance is the 3rd book in the Journeys of the Fortune Seekers Series. The fourth of this engaging historical series, "Secrets", is on track for publication 2022.