Cover Image: The Last of the Apple Blossom

The Last of the Apple Blossom

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Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this story of Catherine and the events of her life, starting with devastating bushfires in 1967 that ruined her family apple orchard and killed her only sibling. Throughout the story, Catherine dealt with struggles with her father about wanting to take over the apple orchard, she had ups and downs with her best friend who had secrets and struggles of her own and she found love, although the love she found was frowned upon at the time. The story had some great twists that I did not see coming and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Beginning in 1967 during a massive bushfire in Tamania, this novel had ups and downs for me. The opening is quite intense and while what follows does deal with the aftermath (deaths, loss of crops, homes, equipment etc) the story fell flat for me, the characters never really got under my skin. It’s set in apple orchards and there’s a lot of unnecessary detail about the work (for me anyway). Then a major secret is revealed more than halfway through the novel (not what I expected) and this part of the story is just unbelievable, it feels like another book, and then it settles back into the day to day story again. It’s not a bad read but it did feel way too long to me.

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What a brilliant debut novel The Last of the Apple Blossom is! Meticulously researched and with truly believable characters, this story is enthralling. Set in Tasmania’s Huon Valley and beginning in 1967, this is an epic story of struggle against the odds. I particularly liked schoolteacher Catherine Turner, who showed remarkable strength as she worked to restore her family orchard following devastating bushfires. I loved her dedication, her creativity and her perseverance. Annie Pearson, her neighbour and friend, was the other character through whose eyes this story is told and while I admired her, there was something about her that felt a bit off. Her secret is revealed at the end of the story and once I understood, I sympathised. I could ramble on but honestly my thoughts are best summed up in my first sentence - brilliant book.

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Recently my friend has started a new bookclub. It is something we have tried to do for a while now, but it never worked out, so this time she put a call out on Meet-Up and has bought together a group of people who share a desire to read but are otherwise a group of strangers. Well, other than the two of us who already know each other.

I was really keen to have this be a read-on-a-theme bookclub rather than nominating a specific book to read, although we may also do that on occasion. The theme for this time was Spring and I chose to read The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens because blossoms mean spring right? It was a book that I already had on my ereader as a review copy and it also counts for Weekend Cooking - it's a triple whammy!

The story opens on 7 February 1967, a day known as Black Tuesday in Tasmania. On that day, there were horrific bushfires in and around Hobart and many people were killed, injured or made homeless.

I count myself very lucky to have never been too close to a bushfire. The closest was a few years ago when there was a grass fire a couple of suburbs away and we were instructed to evacuate. As an Australian, every summer we dread the days when the news headlines start with stories of bushfires raging, of the volunteer fire fighters risking their own lives to try and save the homes and towns of others, of heartbreaking stories of homes lost or even worse, lives. Whilst I haven't personally been affected, I know people who know people who have lost it all. And we have all smelt the smoky air as it drifts across the country, felt the gloom descend and the pride that we feel in those people on the front line who give so much of themselves to help others.

The first few pages of this book were gripping as the author took us into the face of these horrendous fires in Hobart. The fear and the panic, the desperate need to get back to your family, and the heartbreaking moment when you realise that you have lost significant parts of your livelihood or heritage, and, even worse, members of your family. It was so well written, I could feel the tension, fear and the heat.

Our main character is Catherine Turner, a young teacher who grew up on her family's apple orchard in the Huon Valley. As the fires spread Catherine makes is charged with supervising the children who can't get back to their families due to the fires closing in. As soon as she is able, she makes the somewhat reckless, actually make that very reckless, decision to try to get home to her family's orchard. The roads are closed, and she and her friend are told not to proceed, but they do and in doing so they place themselves in the path of danger.

When she does get home, it is to scenes of utter devestation all through the valley. Fire is fickle. It can destroy great swathes of land and yet some structures will remain standing. For the Turners, they pay the ultimate price. Their main house is gone, and their young son/brother is dead. Fortunately a cottage remains for them to live in while they start to rebuild their lives. Catherine's father has always been of the opinion that the land is no place for a girl so the orchard was always going to go to Peter, despite the fact that he wanted to be a vet and Catherine wants to be an orchardist. Catherine's mother has been devestated by the loss of her son and withdraws into herself.



What follows is a history of the apple industry in Tasmania, since that fateful day and some of the key events of the late 1960's through to now through the lens of Catherine and her friends and family's lives. Tasmania is known as the Apple Isle but the apple industry has been decimated over the last 50 years thanks to the fires, to changes in the export markets and increasing transport costs. These changes resulted in schemes from the government to pay people to rip out their trees, and families moving away to find a new life off the land. On the positive side there are the introduction of more efficient farming techniques and the introduction of organic farming methods.

Catherine's closest friend is Annie who is married to Dave Pearson. On the day of the fire, she is at home with her kids, plus young Charlie who is the son of Dave's friend Mark. Annie has five sons and a much wanted newborn baby girl. Annie grew up in an affluent family in Hobart, but she was disowned when she married Dave. Mark is living on their property with Charlie seeking an escape from his life in Melbourne, although Annie would like him to be gone.

As Catherine gets to know the shy Charlie, she also begins to get to know Mark, but there are many impediments, not least of all the fact that he is married to the absent Lara. Catherine faces many challenges to keep her family legacy, whilst still having to deal with the ongoing trauma that is the legacy of the fires and her brother's death.

This is the author's debut novel, and it is a strong debut. I enjoyed learning about the history of the apple industry and the lives of characters. Some of storyline was a bit unlikely, but it was definitely readable.

It should come as no surprise that there were lots of mentions of food, most of which were apple recipes. I wanted to make something apple-y, but I wasn't sure what until Mae shared a poem about apple pie a couple of weeks ago. I have also been thinking that I needed to try and make a "proper pie" which sent me off on a search for recipes.

Mae had mentioned having cheese with her apple pie, which is a new flavour combination to me and, in the end, I took that idea and twisted it a little and made a cheddar cheese flavoured pie crust, filled with apples and topped with a streusel which apparently. Apparently this style of pie (without the cheddar) is called a Dutch Apple Pie.

I took bits and pieces and inspiration from various recipes and put them all together, but predominantly it was based on this recipe from Olive and Mango. I didn't use the nuts in the streusel because we have a nut allergy in our house (my son is allergic to tree nuts) so I looked around at various other streusel recipes until I decided to use rolled oats in my streusel.



And the verdict? I enjoyed the flavour combination, but it got mixed reviews in my house. Robert said that he would like it to be made again but with just a plain crust and my son wouldn't even try it! So overall, I would use that recipe for the apples again, but it would be a different pastry and an adapted streusel.

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‘Catherine though the beach would be safe, with its slim arc of sand and the cool water just beyond.’

Hobart, 7 February 1967. Young schoolteacher Catherine Turner is teaching her young Grade One students in Hobart’s Sandy Bay Infant School on a day when much of southern Tasmania is reduced to ash. After the children are sent home, Catherine rushes to the family orchard in the Huon Valley. Disaster has struck the Turner family: the apple orchard has been destroyed, and Catherine’s brother Peter lost his life as the family home burned.

In shock. Catherine visits her friend and neighbour Annie Pearson. Annie has recently had her sixth child: a daughter, after five sons. While the Pearson orchard has sustained damage, it has not been destroyed. Dave Pearson’s friend Mark and his young son Charlie were staying at the Pearson orchard when the fire hit. Mark’s wife has left, and he is waiting for her to return. Even though Mark is helping repair the damage to the orchard, Annie wants him gone.

Catherine wants to help her father rebuild the orchard, but he does not see this as a role for a woman. Her mother is devastated by her brother’s death, and both parents seem angry with Catherine. Meanwhile, Catherine becomes fond of Charlie and becomes friendly with Mark.

The story unfolds between 1967 and the present. Into the 1970s, there are small-town prejudices to overcome, and several secrets involving the key characters. Ms Stephens captures the small-town atmosphere and attitudes as well as the struggles of the Tasmanian apple industry.

I really enjoyed reading this novel: it took me ‘home’ to Tasmania. I remember the 1967 Black Tuesday bushfires: I was ten at the time and living in Launceston. I also remember the restructuring of the apple industry during the early 1970s: members of my extended family had orchards in the Spreyton district. But I digress. This is a beautifully written novel, peopled with finely realised characters in a well-described historical setting.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens published by HQ (HarperCollins Australia) is a beautifully presented novel that begins with a stunning cover and carries over into a touching story from start to finish. It sweeps us up quickly (in its care and flames) into the world of bushfires, the rise and fall of the Tasmanian apple tree business and into the homes and hearts of generations of families that have passed through the vortex of a firestorm. This reading journey cultivates in us an organic appreciation for those who have experienced and survived such trauma. We can smell the ‘burnt apples, dead livestock and charred eucalypts.’ For the horrors of the Tasmanian bushfires of 1967 (known as Black Tuesday) are sincerely felt and understood, along with the harrowing loss suffered by Catherine Turner’s family and friends.

Although the title and cover first captured my attention, once entering the pages of this incredibly moving story, my heart erupted in so many directions. This novel did not disappoint. It promised and delivered on every front. Mary-Lou has done an amazing job in presenting creatively a difficult period in Tasmania’s history. Through setting, characters and plot she has masterfully uncovered topics of grief, perseverance and resurrection.

Mary-Lou’s research is meticulous, as confirmed by the text and stated in her Author Notes. Although she has no apple orchard growing experience, she has gleaned from the best in the field. But in the area of bushfires, like most of us here in Australia, she has lived through such disasters, and as a result rendered a realism in many scenes. The dark billows of fear, that rise from the smoke and blaze as it destroys properties and lives, is not something you ever forget. And Mary-Lou has painted with accuracy these gut-wrenching scenes of destruction.

There are many essential threads to this story with multiple points of view. But these prove useful and are easily followed with smooth transitions. The various perspectives provide a complete picture, helping us to sympathise with this believable cast affected by trauma and disappointment. For grief takes on many forms and faces and we can see how each character deals with his/her own loss.

The story spans over the years from 1967 to present day but each period is clearly noted so we are aware of the movement of time. I think this worked very well in showing the long term effects of the fires, politics and deaths on the remaining characters.

The novel is filled with powerful descriptive prose, displaying the author’s gift of language and story-telling. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel but acknowledgments explain how Mary-Lou worked diligently on this manuscript with a writing mentor, beta readers and her editor to bring it to such a polished satisfying end.

A nice ingredient I wish to mention, due to my own interest, is the use of Mary-Lou’s experience in the music industry. She utilises it well in telling the stories of Catherine, Mark and Angela. Plus, the song writing element adds a magical touch that becomes a soothing balm for wounds.

Although ‘The Last Apple Blossom’ clearly expresses through its characters, plot and setting the difficulties and challenges the Tasmanian orchardists faced from fires and political decisions, the novel also offers hope and how dreams are an essential part of the healing process. I am reminded of the words by American poet Langston Hughes: ‘Hold fast to dreams /For if dreams die/Life is a broken-winged bird/That cannot fly.’ Led by a determined Catherine— Mark, Annie, Dave and their children cling to this fragile wing of hope to rise above the waves of calamity that surge against them.

I believe this novel will appeal to those who enjoy strong family sagas wrapped in secrets and meticulously researched historical drama inspired by true events. Out of the ashes, lessons are learned as this story teaches about the trials of a landscape and how those challenges can shape its people. I truly loved this novel and highly recommend it. 5 Stars from me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HQ (HarperCollins Australia) for the digital ARC to read and review.

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A captivating family saga set in Tasmania that is beautifully written. A story that touches on friendships, secrets, heartache and hope.

The story begins during the tragic bushfires of 1967. Catherine Turner, a young teacher is in Hobart as the bushfires rage through Tasmania. As soon as she can leave Hobart she goes to her family home in the Huon Valley to find that the family’s beautiful apple orchard and their home is destroyed by the fires and even worse her brother Peter is dead. Catherine is determined to run the orchard but her father is adamant that a female will not and cannot take over.

Catherine’s best friend and neighbour Annie and her husband Dave Pearson have a family friend Mark staying who is helping with the clean up after the fires. Mark has a son Charlie and a wife who has disappeared. Catherine is very fond of Charlie as she is so good with children. Annie however isn’t keen for the friendship that is developing between Catherine and Mark.

A wonderful read and I learnt so much about the apple industry.

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Catherine Turner was teaching her grade two students in Hobart, Tasmania on Tuesday February 7th, 1967 – a day which was later dubbed ‘Black Tuesday’ – when the bushfire raged, threatening everything in its path. Once the children were safe, she and Tim, a colleague, headed for the Huon Valley where Catherine’s home was, where her parents and brother Peter owned their apple orchard. Battling their way through road closures and roaring fire, they finally made it, but it was too late. The homestead was gone and Peter with it…

Catherine’s best friend and nearby neighbour, Annie Pearson, had just given birth to a baby daughter – Angela – after five sons. The bushfire missed their home but did surrounding damage, and they worked hard to bring things to rights. Dave, Annie’s husband, had his best mate, Mark helping out, while Mark’s small son, Charlie played with the boys. Mark and Charlie had moved from Melbourne when Mark’s wife disappeared, and Charlie loved it in the country with his new friends.

As all the apple orchards in the Huon Valley struggled after the bushfires, doing everything they could to bring the orchards back to being viable again, many of them couldn’t continue. But Catherine and her father worked hard and although it took more years than they’d hoped, the orchard came back. But what about Catherine’s future? She was in her mid-twenties and the orchard was her only life. She wasn’t aware of the many secrets surrounding her, but they would shatter her when she found out…

The Last of the Apple Blossom is the debut novel by Aussie author Mary-Lou Stephens and I loved it. The research by the author has obviously been meticulous and is confirmed by her notes at the end. I was deeply involved with the characters and their lives, intrigued by what had gone on before and how things would evolve. The horror of the bushfires is something that never fades, and in Australia it happens often. My husband was in Tasmania when Black Tuesday occurred and he was able to tell me a little about it. I have no hesitation is recommending The Last of the Apple Blossom and look forward to Ms Stephens next novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

A link for those interested - https://www.google.com/search?q=black...

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This is a beautiful story of friendship, secrets, heartbreak and hope, beautifully written, we get to meet two women Catherine and Annie and journey with them and their families through years of change, I do hope that you will pick this one up and come along for the journey I am sure you will love it as I have.

Catherine Turner grew up on an apple orchard in the Huon Valley in Tasmania, these days she is teaching at a small school in Hobart it is February 1967 and a lot of the state is burning in the worst ever bushfires. Catherine after making sure her pupils are safe makes a dash for home only to find that the orchard and house are destroyed and her young brother lost to the fires. Catherine vows to get the orchard back up and running even if her father says it will never be run by a female.

Annie Pearson, neighbour and best friend to Catherine is married to Dave and they run a successful apple orchard that has been in the family for generations they are parents to five boys and now the parents of a beautiful wanted and loved daughter. There is a lot of work to be done to repair the damage done by the fires and Dave’s best friend and his young son Charlie are helping with it all. Mark has moved his family to get a break from life but his wife vanishes and Mark and Charlie stay on.

It is not long before Catherine and Charlie are making friends, after spending time in the packing sheds at apple season this means that Mark and Catherine are spending a lot of time together as well and they are becoming friends but that will bring only scandal as Mark is married even if his wife cannot be found. Annie is not happy that Mark and Charlie are still living at the orchard either, she is keeping a secret that she wants no one to know.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from page one, I loved getting to know Catherine and Annie both such strong women who fought for what they wanted, this really is an emotional story that had me cheering for their strength and courage. This story looks at the collapse of the apple industry in Tasmania and the changes in the area around these times with the hippies moving in. But is a story that takes in tragedy, heartbreak, loss, secrets and the hope that life will go on, that changes need to be made and that love will be there. There were tears from me happy and sad as I was pulled into their journey, I highly recommend this debut story it is a must read that I loved from start to finish.

My thanks to the publisher Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review

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Such an engaging and interesting family story this book was. Catherine Turner is a young schoolteacher in Hobart and comes from an apple growing family in the Huon Valley. Her dream is to take over the orchard that her family runs when her father retires. He does not agree and wants her younger brother to take over. Her younger brother has no desire to take over the property and wants to study to be a Vet.
Tragedy strikes when bushfires rip through the area leaving devastation in their wake, taking the life of her brother. She immediately resigns her position and returns home to help her family.
Its also the story of Catherine’s best friend Annie and her husband and family who live on the next property. Annie is originally from a well to do Tasmanian family but has been shunned by her parents as she was pregnant and married out of her class. She is now the mother of 6 children (5 boys and 1 girl) finally getting the much-wanted daughter after 5 boys. She is extremely protective of the little girl and will not let her out of her sight. Dave’s best friend Mark also is living on the property with his young son to help them out after the devastating bushfires. They are all harboring secrets which threaten to change their lives forever.
This book is based on real life events that occurred in the 1960’s in Tasmania when the orchards were burnt, and the author did a great job of describing what farmers went through at that time and the lack of support from the government which forced many to have to cut their losses and sell up. It also highlighted the 1970’s when hippies came to Tasmania wanting a new life and happy to live off the land.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and it is always great when you learn something while reading a book, I had no idea that Tasmania went through these terrible times and even now their export market has been cut and people have had to diversify their crops to make ends meet.
Mary-Lou is a graduate of Fiona McIntosh’s masterclass and for a debut novel I was so impressed that I can’t wait to see what else comes from this new Australian author. 5* from me.
Thanks go to Net Galley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.

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This is a book about Tasmania, and as I live in Tasmania I thought I would completely love it. Don’t get me wrong, I did like it and was really enamoured at first. It started well, the characters had depth and the subject was something I could tune into. But as I went on it did go a bit downhill for me.

The main characters Catherine, Tim, Annie and then Mark were complex but not over the top, the story was exciting and was believable and I could picture the places, the scenery and the realness of what was happening in the Huon Valley and this made it more interesting for me.

Later in the story though it got lost on me, the story went off track and became a bit unreal, unbelievable and it dragged on. The story became long-winded, more characters became involved and the characters started to annoy me.

The story was told from 1967 to present day which I didn’t think was required and made it lengthy. But the book all in all was good, I enjoyed reading most of it and think that for a debut novel it is a great effort.

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Catherine Turner’s a year one teacher in Hobart in 1967, it’s an extremely hot February day and with strong northerly winds. The perfect conditions for a bushfire to start, it makes a fire very unpredictable and hard to stop. When Catherine leaves her class room, it’s gloomy outside and she can see smoke in the distance. Catherine’s really worried about her father Jack, mother Judith and younger brother Peter. They live and own an apple orchard in the Huon Valley and the fire is headed straight for them. She desperately wants to get home, her car trip along back roads is dangerous and rather foolish. When she arrives, the apple orchards are destroyed, the family home is a smouldering ruin and her brother is dead. Her parents are in shock, her mother's a sobbing mess and her father’s dream of passing his orchard onto his son has ended.

Dave Pearson’s married to Annie, their apple orchard is next door to the Turner’s and they have five boys and she’s just had a baby girl. Annie's home alone with the children on the day of the fire, she's scared, all she can do is keep the children cool and try not to panic. The day after the fire everyone is stunned, the Turner’s have lost everything and the Pearson’s still have their house, some of their apple trees have been burnt and land. Mark Davis is Dave’s best friend, he’s staying with the Pearson’s with his son Charlie and he helps with the clean-up. Annie’s not happy about Mark staying, he’s having a break from his life if Melbourne and his wife Lara has left him.

Catherine becomes fond of Charlie, she’s really great with young children and brings him out of his shell. Mark and Catherine also become friends, in a small town, this causes talk, her parents and Annie are not happy.
Mary-Lou Stephens has done really well in describing how people felt, acted and reacted during a bushfire in her narrative. The Last Of The Apple Blossom is a story about a devastating tragedy, secrets, lies, the collapse of the Tasmanian apple industry, the consequences of all of these things happening in the Huon Valley and the families involved.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

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