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The Palace of Lost Virtue
  • Published: 8 April 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761356063
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $34.99

The Palace of Lost Virtue




By the bestselling author of The War Nurses, this is an unforgettable new novel set in the WA goldrush era inspired by real characters and a shocking true crime.

The bush keeps its secrets and its gold...

In 1898, Marigold Harrington arrives on the goldfields of Western Australia with conviction in her heart. The daughter of a prospector and a proud member of the Christian Women’s Temperance Union, she dreams of rescuing women the gold rush has forgotten, those trapped in the shadows of brothels and bars.

Across town, Pansy Arlington presides over the Palace of Pleasure, a woman who has built her own small empire from ruin. When Marigold arrives at her door, offering God’s forgiveness, she surprises Pansy with unexpected kindness.

Though they come from opposite worlds, the two women spark an unlikely friendship. But, in a rough, lawless town built on greed and desire, their bond will be tested by betrayal, violence and a crime that will echo through the years.

Inspired by true events and the real women of the gold rush, The Palace of Lost Virtue dares to rewrite history books, giving voice to the lives of the formidable women who lived and died in the goldfields.

By the bestselling author of The War Nurses, this is a lively and colourful tale about loyalty, forgiveness and freedom.

  • Published: 8 April 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761356063
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $34.99

About the author

Anthea Hodgson

Anthea Hodgson is a country girl from the WA Wheatbelt. She worked as a radio producer in WA, NSW and Queensland before returning to WA, where she lives with her husband and two children. She is the author of The Drifter, The Cowgirl and the highly acclaimed 2023 historical novel based on the Bangka Island Massacre, The War Nurses. She is co-host of the Rachael Johns Book Club on facebook and the podcast Reading Between Deadlines.

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