The Jam Maker: The must-read new Tasmanian historical fiction for 2025 based on a true story, perfect for readers of Fiona McIntosh and Victoria Pu

Jam is sweet but it can also burn.

Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory.

Four years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets.

As the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects.

Intertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, The Jam Maker is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life.

PRAISE:

'Brought to vivid life with richness, colour, and incredible warmth, the prose sings in this bitter-sweet Tasmanian tale of triumph over adversity, love, loyalty and the ties that bind and divide. The Jam Maker is another irresistible story from Mary-Lou Stephens, one that will sweep you into its heart and linger in yours. Simply delicious.' Bestselling Australian author Karen Brooks