Adelaide Roberts lives in Belowla, a small town on the South Coast of New South Wales and every family has lost someone in The Great War, or they have been injured, those who return home have issues fitting back into everyday life and Adelaide works as a nurse at the Coast Hospital in Little Bay. Her brother Joseph was encouraged by their parents to sign up, do the right thing and so he wouldn't be given a white feather. The war has had not only crippled young men in the district who went off to fight, it’s caused financial problems for dairy and sheep farmers, and Ada's father has this issue.

Ada accompanies her father Ned to Meroogan Island, he still owns one of his boats, to deliver supplies to the men operating the lighthouse, and it’s in a desolate and rocky place. Here she meets returned soldier Emmett Huxley, he’s still haunted by what happened to him in France and the island provides the solitude and peace he needs. Adelaide and Emmett are attracted to each other, she discovers her father has made plans for her to marry Donal Blaxland, a local landowner with a large tobacco plantation and it would solve her father with his financial woes.

When one of the men working at the lighthouse is found washed up on Mile Beach, the police take Emmett and Niall McTavish in for questioning and Adelaide is forced to make a difficult choice about her future. Donal’s behaviour is odd and erratic, he disappears for days, comes home and gets drunk, and yells at Adelaide and his housekeeper Irma. Adelaide uncovers why Donal is so unstable, to be safe she must leave him, and that’s easier said than done and she knows Donal will come after her.

I received a digital copy of All the Golden Light by Siobhan O’Brien from HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is set in 1918, as we know The Great War is drawing to a close, it gives the reader an idea of what it was for returned soldiers, their families and the communities they lived in. There’s no glory in war, only suffering, pain and endless darkness.

A powerful and thought provoking debut novel by Ms. O'Brien and a great start to her career as an author, it's obvious Adelaide and Emmett should be together from their first meeting, a story full of yearning and longing and five stars from me.netgalley netgalley-reading-challenge-202332 s5 comments Suz1,297 685

This was an affecting read which I enjoyed more than expected, which is great as my choice of genre is not usually historical fiction. The imagery of time and place was easy to grasp on to – I think the research gone into this was noticeably effective.

Adelaide is a young woman who resists the values of the time, a talented seamstress who s to buck the trend and advise her clients to dress for comfort, not what society is expecting of women. The constant reference to ‘her skirts’ was widely used and noticeable, showing a reader who loves clothes how impractical and difficult this would have been!

I was sad when I realised her father was moving her on, unable to ‘support’ her on the farm, making it quite clear she was a burden to him and the need for a husband was imminent, no matter how unsuitable or underhanded.

As the narrative moves into an unattainable love story which was well told in the lens of 1918 where relations are formal and stilted. The author was able to convey a shy love from inexperienced Adelaide and realistic in the fact that she just didn’t jump in, making me reflect how different things are in current times.

The first ever romance of a strong yet inexperienced woman and the drama Adelaide found herself in when her lighthouse man was in trouble with the law created a tense read. The struggle for Adelaide to decide if she should proceed down the well trodden path by women of her time, or forge ahead and do what will only end in shame and humiliation.

This story was unique when other serious issues became quickly apparent with the man Adelaide’s father arranged for marriage, a situation where the reader knows how wrong things are. The tension in witnessing a man treat Adelaide so badly was dramatic and propulsive.

Adelaide always showed resilience and courage, although at times I wasn’t sure if she’d hold onto her strength. Recommended to readers who love Australian historical fiction, this was a palpable and easy to read story.

I enjoyed the audio version, narrated by Hannah Vanderheide which I listened to via the BorrowBox platform and my public library.
2024 aussie-author aww ...more39 s6 comments Donna318 15

This is a story set in Belowla in 1918 where Adelaide Roberts wants to live a life of promise, hope and purpose. She doesn't want to be married off the other women of her time but this looks the path that she must follow. This is her story and what a tumultuous story it is.

She finds love but then must relinquish it to marry a man of means who her father has made a deal with. But things are not as they seem and there is so much struggle, heart-break and grief within these pages. It is a book that brings to life the struggles of the returned soldiers, families and how women where treated. It is to some point a dark story but throughout you find glimmers of hope which are then snuffed out.

This is a fantastic read with numerous stories of people such as Adelaide, her father, Emmett and Donal. There is hardship, courage, romance, drama and so much more in the pages of this book. It is well researched and the Australian landscape is described perfectly. It is a book I very much enjoyed and kept me reading from start to finish.

All the Golden Light
Siobhan O'Brien
HarperCollinsreviewed3 s Tennille Cox13 3

I’m honestly not 100% sure what to make of this book. I really wanted to it because it started off so promising with the narrative of Adelaide needing to marry Donal. Maybe I’m missing something but I found the whole drug fight thing at the end weird and confusing, and also found Da and Gwynne’s relationship very random. Curious to see what other people thought as more come in. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3 s Anabela79 3

This is a story of love, loss, grief, and tragedy; set at the end of WWI. This is the story of Adelaide Roberts, who is trapped in the societal expectations of an arranged marriage by her father to a wealthy veteran, to ensure her future. However, she is in love with someone else and carrying his child, even as he sits in prison awaiting to see if he will be charged with murder.

This story also delves into the aftermath of war, the impact of the war trauma on the returning soldiers, as they try to resume their normal lives.

Adelaide is a strong, courageous character that despite her strong beliefs of what the role of women should be,
succumbs to the pressures of her father and society to embark on a marriage of convenience. Only her husband is not who they think he is. What follows is her struggle to break free and follow her heart.

I thought the characters were well written and I enjoyed the special bond between Adelaide, Irma, the housekeeper, and “Worm”, who become a family of sorts.

The story was gripping and I cheered for Adelaide to get her happy ending. It did feel the ending took an unexpected turn (IMHO), that should have come with its own trigger warnings.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction and for those of you who enjoy this genre I’d encourage you to pick this up.
books-i-own2 s Craig / Phil1,645 86

Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
A combination of the Great War legacy and the unforgiving Australian landscape set the scene for an intriguing story that is consistent with the high standard of our local historical fiction writers.
Pioneering life was hard and at its core were strong and courageous women.
Adelaide lives with her domineering father.
Her life complicated by meeting the man she desires on a rugged island off the coast, as her father has selected a suitable husband who owns land.
A murder, manipulation and desperate circumstances leads to marrying Donal.
The haunts of the war, illicit substances and general disrespect are factors Adelaide has to endure.
Violence, abduction and delusion reign terror as she fights for what she really wants in an adverse landscape.
This awesome read encapsulates the beauty of our country, the tenacity of our pioneers and insurmountable challenges faced by women.
Adelaide is a steadfast and passionate character supported by a strong cast of both good and bad people.
The spirit this nation was built on chimes through the pages.
2 s Samantha75 5

Set in 1918, at the end of the Great War, Adelaide travels with her father to the south coast of NSW to deliver much needed supplies. There, on an island off the coast, she meets lighthouse keeper Emmett. Even though Adelaide and Emmett are drawn to each other, Adelaide’s father has organised for her to marry Donal, a decorated war veteran and local landowner. Upon the revelation of this news Adelaide runs away from her home and back to the island, back to Emmett. When police charges are suddenly brought against Emmett, Adelaide is forced to return home. Once home, Adelaide realises that she is pregnant and has no other choice but to marry Donal. But Donal is not who he seems, and has many secrets of his own.

I’m very torn with this book! I’ve never read an Australian historical fiction so that was definitely a big plus. The descriptions of the landscape and the lifestyle of the time were a real credit to the story. I was a little confused by the prologue as it reads almost a murder mystery and took almost to the end of the book for it to make any sense. I’m not sure what category this book fits into because it is a real jumble of themes. There was a very interesting exploration of the effects of the war, not just on the country but on the psyche of the men that returned. But those last few chapters came so far out of left field… the depictions of the intricate minutiae of intravenous drug use was certainly not on my bingo card for this book and as someone who is very squeamish about that sort of stuff, found it unnecessarily graphic. Definitely needed a trigger warning for that!
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