First published 1989
Oscar Hopkins boards an ocean liner bound for Australia in 1864, leaving behind his Oxford seminary training. The awkward young clergyman encounters Lucinda Leplastrier, a wealthy Sydney woman whose passion for glass manufacturing sets her apart from colonial society's expectations. As their ship cuts through ocean swells toward the Australian continent, Oscar and Lucinda discover an unexpected connection that grows into something deeper than friendship. Their romance develops against the backdrop of Victorian Australia, where Oscar must navigate his religious calling while Lucinda pursues her unconventional business interests. The glass factory that fascinates Lucinda becomes a symbol of their fragile yet luminous bond. Both characters struggle with the constraints of their era and social positions, finding in each other a rare understanding. Their love story unfolds as Australia itself transforms from penal colony to emerging nation, creating a romance shaped by the raw possibilities and harsh realities of colonial life.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, australia, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, star-crossed-lovers
Setting: Australia, Oxford, Sydney
Period: 1864
516 pages · Paperback · Faber and Faber