Robyn Bishop is a Melbourne-based author and playwright. Her latest novel is The Rust Red Land.
It’s the late 1800s in rural New South Wales and Matilda, as the oldest daughter, is expected to cook, clean and help Mama with her brothers and sisters. But her inquiring mind will not be stilled nor her rebellious spirit tamed.
In the rust red landscape, both striking and harsh, and against the backdrop of world wars and a changing Australia, Matilda is torn between her desire for freedom and allegiance to her growing family.
This sweeping novel brings to life the injustices faced by women in the 1800s and 1900s. Matilda and her family show how the grip of patriarchy tried to strangle the ambitions of women, but there were women who refused to give up.
Mount Waverley Library.
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