A mesmerising and passionate celebration of the enigmatic Australian author, The Very Secretive And Passionate Stella Miles Franklin by French novelist Alexandra Lapierre succeeds in shining a literary light on the iconic and inspiring woman.
Growing up in the Australian bush at the turn of the 20th century, Stella Miles Franklin yearns to become a successful writer and help her poor farming family. When she unexpectedly manages to publish her first novel under a male pseudonym it leads to opportunities in Sydney and Melbourne to try and make a name for herself. After failing to publish her subsequent manuscripts, and determined to continue she decides to travel to America, playing a pivotal role in fighting for women and their rights, followed by Europe meeting a host of intriguing characters along the way.
Considering the limitations of the era, the formidable strength of character, power and passion for literature is expertly conveyed in this extraordinary well researched, sublime novel. Translated by Tina Kover, it’s clear the author enjoys bringing strong, independent forgotten women from the past to life in her novels, as demonstrated by her previous account novel Belle Greene. It’s incredible to think that this is the first novel about the historical figure, and after bringing yet another exceptional character to life in this brilliant account I’m sure it won’t be the last.
