Noni waited for the explosion. Jacinta jiggled her baby.
Iain gave up the lost cause and blew a kiss at Olivia. ‘I suppose your poppy will have to get you a sidecar.’
Noni smiled at her husband. ‘See how far we’ve all come in only a year. Brilliant negotiations on all flanks.’
Noni appreciated Jacinta’s tactics, smiling and confident with Olivia on her hip. A young woman full of plans for her daughter, plans for her own future in medicine, and plans to tease her dad more every day.
Noni savoured the warmth of Harley, blithely nestled between Iain and her, bouncing out of his skin to grow big and strong like his new dad, the man who was her husband. Her lover. Her greatest fan. Her partner in life and doting father of the baby to come. How had she been so fortunate?
As if he’d connected silently, he whispered across Harley’s head, ‘I feel incredibly lucky, you know.’ He blew her a kiss. ‘Thank you for my family, my love. Happy Mother’s Day.’
Acknowledgements
Many years ago I wrote a short medical romance called Midwife Under Fire, which was basically an abridged version of Noni and Iain’s story. Set in the nondescript town of Burra, it held tiny glimpses of the women you’ve just spent time with.
The characters in that story, and the fun I had describing the antenatal classes, have stayed with me. Actually, they teased me with a bigger story for years. Although some of the medical practice has changed since then, the fundamentals of midwifery remain the same. The character of Jacinta was inspired by the amazing young mums in our local TIMTAMs class (that’s a weekly antenatal session for teens, Teenage Information Mornings Teens As Mums) and I’m still in contact with many of those inspiring and incredible mothers today fifteen years later.
That story was my favourite until I began writing for Penguin Random House and had more space to really explore interactions between women. This wonderful freedom allows me to touch on social issues and their impact on families, along with the romance (which is fun, but not nearly the whole story I want to write!).
After I wrote The Homestead Girls, I knew I loved exploring friendships between women of different ages, and I was thrilled that my publisher agreed Noni’s story was something I should develop. I relished the opportunity to share Aunt Win’s perspective as well as the amazing life of Iain’s surprise daughter, Jacinta, with her experience and world view as a teen mum. Iain’s viewpoint went out the window, which I think is funny, although my husband’s not sure if he agrees!
I wanted to make Burra into a real place in my mind, so I was lucky enough to spend some time in the beautiful valleys of the Riverina, NSW. I thank my dear friend and fellow writer Bronwyn Jameson, who lives near Wagga Wagga, for her company. Many kilometres and photos later, both on her sheep station and as she drove me around, I fell in love with the lovely Riverina towns, and especially Cootamundra.
One of my Aussie Midwives, Lisa Ferguson, introduced me to Bianca Jones, who was at that time a student midwife in Cootamundra’s real maternity ward (not the one in my mind), and Bianca helped me understand the logistics of a maternity unit that was even smaller than the one I worked in, so I could bring Noni’s workplace to life. Thank you, Lisa and Bianca.
The descriptions of Burra Hospital in this book are based on the original but decommissioned hospital building further down the street in Cootamundra. The on-call demands and special skills of a country GP, and how much midwives love their profession, are not exaggerated.
I’d like to thank my publisher, Ali Watts, and my editor, Amanda Martin, from Penguin Random House, for their faith in my writing and for their fab input at the let’s-stand-back-and-see-what-you’ve-done stage. I love working with you both.
Thank you to my agent, Clare Forster from Curtis Brown, and to Alex Nahlous and Beth Hall for their work on the manuscript. Thank you also to the amazing publicity team at PRH, who are taking me on my first book tour with two other authors. Yay!
Thank you to my writing friends and mentors – there’s nothing like having your own tribe to feel nurtured in.
And of course, I thank my darling husband, Ian (not Iain), who has to live with me through all the incarnations a book has as it grows. Thank you for your patience, my hero.
Most of all I’d like to thank you, my readers, who have supported me, bought or borrowed my books, sent amazing emails and handwritten letters to say how much you enjoyed my characters – such comments that make my ordinary days shine like stars. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed Mothers’ Day, which celebrates all mums, as well as nanas, aunties, friends and midwives who help mother the mothers when they need it. If you haven’t already done so, I hope you give it to your mum or your mum person, because I just love this new, big story and I hope you do, too.
With warmest appreciation,
Fiona
Drawing from her life as a rural midwife, Fiona McArthur shares her love of working with women, families and health professionals in her books. In her compassionate, pacey fiction, her love of the Australian landscape meshes beautifully with warm, funny, multigenerational characters as she highlights challenges for rural and remote families, and the strength shared between women. Happy endings are a must.
Fiona is the author of the non-fiction book Aussie Midwives and lives on a farm with her husband in northern New South Wales. She was awarded the Excellence in Midwifery Award for NSW in 2015.
Find her at FionaMcArthurAuthor.com
Also by the author
Red Sand Sunrise
The Homestead Girls
Heart of the Sky
The Baby Doctor
Aussie Midwives
MICHAEL JOSEPH
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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd 2018
Text copyright © Fiona McArthur 2018
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Cover design by Louisa Maggio © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Cover photograph by Stocksy/Andreas Gradin
Typeset in Sabon by Midland Typesetters, Australia
ISBN 9781760143695
penguin.com.au
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Mothers' Day Page 27