Moonlight Plains in Aussie Readers

Jun 13, 2014 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, own-read, historical-fiction, net-galley, aussie-authors, 2014-release, read-on-kindle

At nineteen years of age young Kitty Martin lived a life of contentment with her strict grandparents in Townsville; that was until the fear of a Japanese invasion. 1942 found the arrival of American troops and the enlisting of many of the town’s young men, including Andy Mathieson whom Kitty had known for a long time. But she wasn’t aware of Andy’s feelings for her until the day he was posted out…

When Kitty was sent by her grandfather to Moonlight Plains to cook and care for her widowed uncle, s At nineteen years of age young Kitty Martin lived a life of contentment with her strict grandparents in Townsville; that was until the fear of a Japanese invasion. 1942 found the arrival of American troops and the enlisting of many of the town’s young men, including Andy Mathieson whom Kitty had known for a long time. But she wasn’t aware of Andy’s feelings for her until the day he was posted out…

When Kitty was sent by her grandfather to Moonlight Plains to cook and care for her widowed uncle, she had no idea the move to the quiet and isolated cattle property would change her life completely. When her uncle left her alone while he mustered cattle for a few days, she found herself coping with a plane crash involving American airmen – her terror at the thought it was a Japanese plane turned to intense relief when she realized it wasn’t. But her life changing events weren’t over…

Seventy years later, Kitty was in a nursing home – her grandson Luke had decided to renovate Moonlight Plains for his grandma before it was too late. When he met Sally Piper at a ball they were both attending in Charters Towers, the attraction between the two of them was instant. With Sally, who was a journalist, preparing to do an article for a magazine on Luke’s renovations, he realized he would see her much more often than he first realized. He wasn’t sure how he would cope with that…

But as the renovations forged ahead, secrets from a long ago past were slowly being uncovered – secrets that could have the power to destroy families; or would they create a semblance of peace and happiness for the future?

I thoroughly enjoyed Moonlight Plains. The story moved backwards and forwards between the two timeframes with ease, creating a wonderful back story to the events of the current days. The word pictures were painted beautifully – so much so that I could visualise the old homestead with the Australian bush surrounding it, the flooding creek nearby, the birds and kangaroos watching and listening. This is a novel I have no hesitation in recommending highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review. ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews, provided-by-publisher, aussie-author

Continuing her loosely linked series featuring the Fairburn family, Barbara Hannay presents Moonlight Plains, an engaging romance which blends a contemporary and historical narrative.

In 1942, as the Japanese threaten the coast of North Queensland, nineteen year old Kitty Martin is sent to Moonlight Plains, the home of her widowed great uncle, far west of Townsville. Kitty, frustrated to be thwarted in her desire to assist in the war effort, is only in residence for a few weeks when two US airmen
Continuing her loosely linked series featuring the Fairburn family, Barbara Hannay presents Moonlight Plains, an engaging romance which blends a contemporary and historical narrative.

In 1942, as the Japanese threaten the coast of North Queensland, nineteen year old Kitty Martin is sent to Moonlight Plains, the home of her widowed great uncle, far west of Townsville. Kitty, frustrated to be thwarted in her desire to assist in the war effort, is only in residence for a few weeks when two US airmen, blown off course, are forced to ditch their planes at the isolated property, and she finds herself facing tragedy... and heartbreak.
Nearly seventy years later, Kitty is glad her grandson is restoring the faded grandeur of the homestead at Moonlight Plains and quietly pleased that her young friend Sally Piper, a journalist, has taken an interest both in the project, and Luke Fairburn. Kitty only hopes that with the restoration of the past, she can keep hidden her own long held secret that could ruin everything.

Kitty's wartime narrative reveals a bittersweet love story, of risks taken and hearts broken. Kitty's 70 year old secret is easily guessed but I really liked her storyline which is sweet and poignant and I felt for Kitty confronted with a difficult choice in a difficult time.

The development of Sally and Luke's contemporary relationship follows a familiar path, their physical attraction eventually leads to deeper feelings though neither are willing to admit it. I could understand Sally's hesitance, though I thought the specific reason for her feelings of guilt was an odd aside.

I didn't think Luke's reaction to his grandmother's secret was entirely in keeping with his character. A moment of pique I could understand but his hurt feelings, even in light of his relationship with Sally, seemed excessive. Laura's reaction to the cache of secret letters written by her father to Kitty was more believable given she lacked the context of the relationship and was still grieving both her father's passing and bitter over her recent marital breakdown.

I often forget that WW2 was also fought on our shores (I've complained before about the failure of the Australian curriculum to focus on the conflicts that occurred on our own soil when I was at school) and so I appreciated the brief glimpse from Hannay of its effects on Townsville and its residents. I also found it easy to visualise the restored grandeur of the old Queenslander at Moonlight Plains, nestled within its bush setting.

A winsome novel, Moonlight Plains seamlessly weaves together a lovely story of love lost and gained. This is another delightful rural romance from Barbara Hannay, following on from Zoe's Muster and Home Before Sundown. ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Cathleen Ross rated it it was amazing

The moment I read a Barbara Hannay book I know I'm in the hands of a master writer. The heroine Sally is getting over the death of her husband when she meets Luke. Their friends with benefits relationship becomes so much more as the story progresses. The sub story of Kitty is fascinating along with an unexpected twist. Loved this book and would well recommend it. ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Helene Young rated it it was amazing

Barbara Hannay has delivered another wonderful book with three different story threads all seamlessly woven together into a rich tapestry of life showing war torn Townsville and the modern day city. Her cast of characters are finely drawn and for me no-one does emotional punch quite like Barb Hannay.

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Aug 28, 2014 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, arc, australian, rural-lit, family-saga, war, aww2014, hist-contemp-blend

Sally Piper is working as a freelance journalist, picking up what work she can find. She’s still in mourning for her husband, who died in an accident just over two years ago but her friends are convinced that it’s time for Sally to start living again. They want her to put herself out there a bit more, meet some new people. Against her better judgement she attends a ball in Charters Towers with a war theme and decides that the ball might make a good focus for a story for one of the country life m Sally Piper is working as a freelance journalist, picking up what work she can find. She’s still in mourning for her husband, who died in an accident just over two years ago but her friends are convinced that it’s time for Sally to start living again. They want her to put herself out there a bit more, meet some new people. Against her better judgement she attends a ball in Charters Towers with a war theme and decides that the ball might make a good focus for a story for one of the country life magazines.

At the ball Sally meets Luke Fairburn and learns of his plans to restore his grandmother’s homestead. This is something Sally is interested in herself and she journeys out to Moonlight Plains to see the home and decides that it would also make a great story. Although sparks fly between Sally and Luke, she’s not quite ready yet – she can’t seem to let go of Josh and move on and find happiness.

Moonlight Plains has seen a lot in it’s time, including some war action when some Allied planes crashed on its land during the Second World War. Young Kitty Martin was home alone at the time and although terrified of what she might find, she hears the planes come down and heads out to investigate. What she discovers brings her the experience of the tragedy of war and heartbreak but also the promise of something beautiful.

Years later as Luke plans to unveil the new Moonlight Plains to the entire family, a deep secret looks like being exposed.

In recent years, a story that blends the contemporary with the historical has come to be one of my favourite types to read. I also really enjoyed Barbara Hannay’s two previous books surrounding the Fairburn family, Home Before Sundown and Zoe’s Muster and had been waiting eagerly for Luke’s story. The two stories blend together quite seamlessly here as we visit Townsville in 1942 and the Allied troops that are stationed there, perfectly placed for missions into Asia. Japan was looking towards Australia, keen to expand its territory and all that land sparsely populated must’ve been tempting. They’d already bombed Darwin and there were rumours of “the Brisbane line” where everything north of that city wouldn’t be defended. Kitty Martin was sent inland to Moonlight Plains, her great-uncle’s farm to keep her away from those flirtatious American soldiers….only to meet American soldiers when they crash their small crafts onto the property!

I loved Kitty’s story – in fact I could’ve read a whole book devoted to just her and her life both before and after WWII. She was strong and independent and hadn’t been cowed by her rather strict religious grandfather. There was plenty of romance in her story but also practicality and I found it very believable that it would play out the way in which it did. I also loved learning about the restoration of the old homestead. I watch too much lifestyle television and restoration shows or building projects, are some of my favourites so I was always really interested in everything Luke was doing and how it was all going to come together.

Which brings me to Sally and Luke! I already knew Luke so I had to get to know Sally and it was hard not to empathise with her. She was terribly young to have already lost a husband and the grief she was experiencing was still rather strong but there was also guilt too. Guilt that she could be attracted to Luke and want to act on it as well as I think, guilt that perhaps she and Luke had more in common than she’d had with her late husband Josh. Sally had an interest in old homes, she had wanted to buy a fixer upper herself (and had almost done so with the insurance money, only the guilt stopped her) whereas Josh had preferred a modern apartment for their home. He was a lawyer, so not a handyman type like Luke. Sally was the type of girl who would want to get her hands dirty and help as well, learning how to help brand and ear-tag cattle as well as pitch in with ideas for the homestead. They were so good together, it was obvious they just worked and Luke was definitely ready for something long term. Sally was different though, she definitely still had some things to work through. I was a little surprised at how angsty Luke was, he is quite brooding….but not unattractive!

Moonlight Plains has taken the rural romance genre and then gone one step further adding in a historical romance element as well that deals with the troubles of war and the beauty that can come out of such times. Both the 1942 story and the current day story work well both separately and together and I was equally invested in both. I think Barbara Hannay did a great job balancing them out and making sure that each story had the attention it deserved. I was equally connected to Kitty and Sally and their very different journeys toward happiness.

This one can be read as stand-alone but I would recommend picking up Home Before Sundown and then Zoe’s Muster beforehand just to really get familiar with the Fairburn family. ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Helen rated it really liked it

This is a really great story I loved the settings as in Townsville during world war 2 1942 and modern day 2013 the story spans a couple of generations and an old homestead Moonlight Plains and its restoration. From a time when there were lots of Americans in Townsville and planes coming down on cattle stations a young woman Kitty helps an American pilot and falls in love but life in 1942 is not the same as now and when Kitty's grandson Luke decides to restore the old homestead and meets journali ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Tanya rated it it was amazing

Entertaining, easy to read, likeable and well rounded characters, this book really ticks all the boxes! My first time reading a Barbara Hannay book, and it won't be the last! ...more

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