Join Anthea Hodgson, acclaimed author of ‘The Drifter’, as she discusses her latest work The Cowgirl. Shifting between the 1950s and current times, The Cowgirl explores some of the barriers that women faced – and are still facing – in the pursuit of their dreams.
Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you expect. You don’t get the job, you become carer to a family member, you never leave home – what happens if your responsibilities stop you from chasing your dreams?
Teddy Broderick is committed to her busy life in the country but she dreams of the world beyond the farm gate. Her grandmother Deirdre is haunted by past regrets. Abandoned by her mother as a child and trapped with an abusive father, she never left the farm. When Deirdre sees Teddy following the same path, she recognises the choices her granddaughter is making as her own.
When the secrets in Deirdre and Teddy’s pasts are unveiled, they soon realise that sometimes confronting the past is the only way to move on. As they learn to acknowledge regrets and accept past sorrows, Deirdre and Teddy are reminded of the importance of acceptance and forgiveness in this insightful coming-of-age drama.
Touching and heartfelt, The Cowgirl is a multigenerational saga exploring atonement, fractured families and regret.
Anthea Hodgson is a fourth generation farm girl from the wheat belt of WA, who loves to write. She has worked in talkback radio with stations such as 2GB and ABC across Australia, helping other people tell their stories, and now she’s decided to tell some of her own.
Books will be available for purchase and author signing.