Three generations of women, a fractured land, and a secret that will change everything ... A luminous, vivid story of mothers and daughters, belonging, and the courage to face where we come from by an extraordinary new talent, shortlisted for The Australian Fiction Prize

I used to think that the past was like a dream and a place was something solid to hold on to. Now I see that a place can be as slippery and strange as a dream. A place can pass into fable; it can wrench itself out of your hands ...

For more than a century, Nummerak has stood proud over the country - a once-grand sheep station holding the ambitions and secrets of the Macleay family.

When the heir to the property, Sal Macleay, dies suddenly, her three grieving children return to her home to help their ailing grandmother, Helen. Nineteen-year-old Hannah and her young brothers find a land worn down with neglect and overgrazing, and a mining company is circling, pitting neighbour against neighbour. As the children struggle to find their place in the community, they discover Nummerak's disturbing colonial history and a serious betrayal which makes them question the integrity of their ancestors.

The choice to sell the farm and walk away seems simple, but nothing is ever simple at Nummerak. Should Hannah secure a comfortable life for her younger brothers, or follow in the footsteps of the women who came before her and devote herself to this beautiful, broken place?

As past and present weave together, three generations of Macleay women - formidable matriarch Helen, brilliant but unpredictable Sal, and quietly determined Hannah - must determine the future of a brutal, breathtaking stretch of earth, and decide what they owe the place and people who made them.

PRAISE

'This fiercely evocative debut drills deep into the Australian soul. A passionate, haunting saga of land, legacy, and belonging, written with the assurance of a master of the craft. To think this is a debut is truly incredible' Samuel Bernard, Australian Fiction Prize judge

'A stunning story of secrets,loyalties and renewal. Hums with truth and heart' Letitia Davy, Australian Fiction Prize judge

'Captivating ... A vivid, sweeping tale of women, land and the ties that bind' Catherine Milne, Australian Fiction Prize judge