Carol Birch is a talented author, skilled at writing personal, descriptive narratives which blend details and emotions with flawless ease. Cathy Wren, a single woman in contemporary northern England, is the modern counterpart of Margaret Catchpole, the eighteenth century jailbird transported to Australia in 'Scapegallows', yet both are fantastically real (Margaret as history brought to life, of course); Margaret's life is like a sepia-coloured, faded copy of Cathy's, with the same struggles and relationships two hundred years apart. I devoured both novels, and was only left wondering how much of Carol Birch's writing is autobiography - such perception and vivid sentiments must come from experience.

With Cathy's 'voice', the author escapes the poor poetry of some stream-of-consciousness writing by defining her imagery with sharp observation and droll comedy - one of my favourites is the comparison of a lofty white hen with a old lady sat on a bus, both ignorant of the world around them! - and yet the combination of literary references, honest introspection and an artistic eye still captured my imagination with the beauty of her words.

I was caught up in Cathy's story, her tender friendship with Stephen and the bitter jealousies of childhood, and found the eventual meeting with her 'little sister' sympathetically paced, not rushed or contrived, and very moving. A touching tale. ( )