Sophie Copinni grew up in the Queensland outback with her two sisters. She is of Maltese heritage and loved her parents dearly. As Sophie grew, so did her love for Dylan Stone, son of Faith and Don. The Stones were the Copinni’s nearest neighbours and the town of Shorefield was a typical outback small town, where everybody knew everybody. Sophie was happy.
Dylan Stone loved Sophie with everything he had to give. He had grown up with a doting mother, but a violent father, until the day his mother shot his father dead in self defence. Dylan was nine years old and his life of fear changed that day. Until Sophie decided she needed to travel and shattered his heart into hundreds of tiny unfixable pieces, Dylan was happy.
Faith Stone was harbouring a secret that only she and her son knew. Dylan’s cousin Grace also knew the secret, but died of an overdose and Faith and her son did not know that she had shared the secret, for her own gain.
Sophie travels to London where she meets Zachary. Eventually, Zachary and Sophie move in together and stay that way until seven years later, when Sophie catches her boyfriend cheating. This leads her to examine her life and make changes. Her sister Amy is getting married so Sophie decides she will not only return to Australia for the wedding but will move back home. She hadn’t realized how much she misses her family and longs to be back in Shorefield. Her longing includes an ache in her heart for Dylan. She has never told him the real reason she broke off with him and moved away and she admits to herself how much she still loves him.
Once back on Australian soil, Sophie is happy. The breakup with Zachary is almost the last thing on her mind. She is looking forward to her sister’s wedding. Her nerves are a little rattled at the thought of seeing Dylan again and she decides the secret that carried her to foreign shores must be divulged for her sake, Dylan’s and all of those it affects. She has hidden it too long and for a secret that wasn’t hers, it has caused her a great deal of heartache. She hopes those involved will forgive her. She hopes Dylan will forgive her.
Mandy Magro has incorporated a touching love story with a mystery, to keep you wondering what sort of a secret could tear two young lovers apart? The setting of far north Queensland is brought into the story just enough for me to close my eyes and imagine this typical of many outback towns and it’s inhabitants. The Copinni family have a strong bond, but they too are part of the secret Sophie carries.
Faith and Dylan Stone’s lives are entwined in the secret and where did the troubled and now deceased Grace fit into all of this? How many lives will change? Will Sophie regret sharing the information that has haunted her for nine years?
A Country Mile is a well written story of love, mystery and sometimes heartache too heavy to bear. As the secrets unfold, there are little surprises that you may not guess. This is a story that had me remembering as Mandy Magro uses words like”chewies” and “drive-in”. It brings back memories of another time but keeps us in the present. I found this an enjoyable read and although basically a love story, the secrets it holds give it an edge.
A Country Mile, by Mandy Magro, is available in digital or printed editions from the publisher HQ Fiction.