Book Review: A new life awaits ‘In the Valley of the Blue Gums’

Have you ever started reading a book and after some time you feel the hunger pangs growling away in your gut?

You tell yourself, just one more chapter and I will make some lunch. Several hours later and your hunger pangs rival a starvation warning and you tell yourself, just one more chapter and I will definitely make some lunch, hang on, it looks like I now need to make dinner.

In the Valley of the Blue Gums by J.H. Fletcher is such a book.

It starts off with a literal bang – a bomb blast in a Sydney café and throws the heroine a former war correspondent and renowned author, Thea Torrance across the floor. Not only is she injured, but another young woman is trapped with a heavy beam pinning down her leg. Our heroine manages with a superhuman effort to move the beam and save the young woman, who turns out to be the daughter of a renowned U.S. Senator.

This incident dredges up long lost memories of Thea’s time as a young reporter first finding herself, through a sheer fluke of luck, at the assassination of John F Kennedy and later as a war correspondent in the nightmare that was Vietnam and her subsequent wounding while saving the life of a future US Senator who years later runs for President.

She falls in love with a young Tasmanian vintner, Peter Torrance, marries him and moves to his vineyard near Hobart. Shortly after she has a daughter and her previously adventurous and exciting life appears to morph into a settled, safe one in Tasmania.

At this time she writes a best selling fictionalised book based on her time in Vietnam and is shocked to find that her previous newspaper employer, Clarion Press is claiming ownership of it. In what amounts to almost blackmail they state that they will withdraw their claim if she will return to Vietnam for a year. With a young daughter that is impossible, but they don’t care. She calls their bluff and …. (no spoilers hers).

Thea goes on to write numerous other well-received novels and life appears almost perfect, until another tragedy strikes – can she find the strength to live and love again?

J.H. Fletcher is indeed a master storyteller in the true sense of the word. He has 18 novels to his credit and lives in Tasmania. As this book centres around Tasmania, his intimate knowledge of his home State is evident and it gives a sense of credibility which a lot of books describing a particular location lack. His writing is quite addictive, I really could not put this book down and was still reading it at 3am. I intend going to HQ Fiction website and find more to read.

Now, many hours later, there is a gaping hole where my gut used to be, I am starving to death and the house looks like a bomb hit it, but I don’t give a hang. I have been taken to a world of excitement, adventure and sheer joy, far away from the dreary details of everyday life.

Such is the strength of the storytelling skills of J.H. Fletcher that has the power to transport you to another dimension.

Pure magic.

In the Valley of the Blue Gums by J.H.Fletcher is available in digital and printed editions from the publisher HQ Fiction.