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Sisters of the Southern Cross

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Sisters of the Southern Cross

By: Jean Grainger
Narrated by: Siobhan Waring
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About this listen

Queensland, Australia, 1936 Sister Claire McAuliffe has been called from Dungarvan, County Waterford, to do God’s work in Jumaaroo, Queensland. Along with four other sisters, she is charged with setting up a Catholic school for the education of the gold rush families. But life between the tropical Australian rainforest and the azure ocean is far from the spectacular paradise it seems.

Sister Claire finds life challenging in more ways than she can count—the heat, the terrifying creatures that lurk in every nook and cranny, the crocodiles and snakes—but far more worrying is the constant presence of the much-loved mayor of Jumaaroo, Joseph McGrath. Why does a person so respected give Claire such cause for concern? Is it the cruel way he speaks about the Aboriginal people who live on the mission? A closed community run by a peculiar religious leader who seems to deeply resent the arrival of the nuns?

As Claire learns of the manner in which the Bundagulgi are treated, she is forced to act, but nobody wants to upset the status quo, and a meddlesome nun suddenly is a dangerous one.

©2020 Jean Grainger (P)2023 Jean Grainger Christian Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction World Literature
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So beautifully told - I just lovely every minute of it. Such amazing insight into such an interesting time in history

Such a wonderful unique story

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I found this story, so beautifully narrated, absolutely engrossing. I didn’t expect to feel so much part of the struggles of setting up a school in far North Queensland, but I could barely wait to hear how their struggles and joys were getting along. I was sad when it concluded.

A story to love

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The narration was superb and the storyline & characters very interesting. As an Australian who has lived in parts of the outback, I felt a connection to the story and have experienced some wonderful moments with our native people.

Storyline and narration

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.