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Restless Dolly Maunder

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Restless Dolly Maunder

By: Kate Grenville
Narrated by: Federay Holmes
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About this listen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024
A DAILY MAIL NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023
LONGLISTED FOR BEST FICTION IN THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS AUSTRALIA 2024

Born into the sweat and drudgery of a New South Wales sheep farm at the end of the 19th century, Dolly Maunder is different to her siblings. She will not endure the small, servile existence of a wife. Dolly, bright, ambitious and stubborn, dreams of a different fate, of building something that she truly owns.

She will do whatever it takes to be the woman she deserves to be. Even with a husband and children, Dolly pushes the boundaries of what is ‘proper’ and what a wife and mother ought to do, as war spreads across Europe and the rules are forever changed. But every life has its limits. What happens when Dolly’s wanderlust finally risks taking her too far?The non-fiction version of Dolly's story is also available on Audible: Always Greener: The Restless Life of Dolly Russell here.©2024 Kate Grenville (P)2024 Canongate Books Ltd
Biographical Fiction Small Town & Rural
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Critic reviews

'Vivid and memorable . . . [Kate Grenville] offers us the ambivalence and complex textures of experience without losing the rhythm and pace of realist fiction' (SARAH MOSS)

What listeners say about Restless Dolly Maunder

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Great story and great narration

An honest story of a women’s experience throughout her lifetime and the complexity of life and love. Wonderful narration that gave the book life. I would listen to more things by this narrator just to hear her, so much better than some that sound like robots.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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the conflicted character that was Folly Maunder: a woman of her time

Beautifully narrated telling of a woman's life in early to mid 20th century Australia: her personal ambitions, her thwarted dreams, her resilience, her stubbornness, her emotional inadequacy; someone fighting, somewhat unsuccessfully, the yoke of social expectation and conditioning, until the wheel comes full circle. A book written with realism and thoughtfully and graphically presented. Excellent imo.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another fascinating read.

Can’t wait for the next book from my favourite author for another awesome trip to Australia .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The story of a strong woman in a difficult world

This is a great story based in truth, highly recommend I enjoyed listening to every minute, in fact I couldn’t wait for my next opportunity to continue this story.

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Beautifully read novel.

An admirer of Kate Greenville’s novels, I looked forward to this. The novel did not disappoint - the story of a woman whose lifespan coincided with a gradual shift in women’s place in the world.
The voice of the reader was an excellent choice. It was easy to listen to and convincingly brought the various characters to life.
This was a very satisfying listen.

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Loved this book.

Loved how it took us back to the times when women were 2nd class citizens & how frustrating it was.Also that we aren’t perfect it’s a genuine listen to life then & love now.

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The structure is everything

I was frustrated at the start but by the end everything about how it was written made sense and I thought it was amazing

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wonderful narration of a history of Australian womem

I've heard most of these anecdotes from old family history. Beautifully, truthfully and sensitively written

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting story but nothing new

This tells the story of one woman's life in Australia starting in the 1880s. It sets out the unfairnesses and frustrations of being a girl and woman in that generation. This is something we should bear in mind and be grateful for the freedom of choice many (though definitely not all) women have today. However, it didn't go beyond that, with no new insights or putting it in any wider context so it felt quite stale as similar histories have been told many times already. The narrator was really good.

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