I was totally involved with this unique multigenerational story and its compelling descriptions of complex characters and of the hardships of early Western Australian settlers. An absolute page turner!
Linda Morison. Author of Lindacita Sails the Bahamas.
Deeply moving, Black Wattle is both lyrical and poignant. Joanne has woven a powerfully immersive tapestry of pioneer resilience, identity and buried secrets. Her historical fiction is rich in vivid detail, emotional resonance and historical insight. It is both tender and gritty. Unforgettable.
Deborah Morison, High School English Teacher.
‘This transported me from busy English streets to the scrub blocks of post-WW1 Western Australia. Words evoked images of the harshness and beauty of the land, which sat with me for days after reading.’
Nicole Kelly, Author.
'Small stones make big ripples in time...A compelling story of family, marriage and betrayal. Through Patmore's eloquent prose we endure the hardship of Iris's emigration from England to Australia after World War 1. We suffer the indignities, bear the losses and see the repercussion of the choices Iris made for a better life. A story that eventually brings us back to where it all started when Jarrah seeks to understand Iris's journey.
An accomplished debut that lives beyond the page.'
Debs Hobbs-Wyatt.
‘A most sophisticated philosophical look at reasons to emigrate to Australia, the realities of doing so, motivations for marrying and having children, and the patterns that bubble to the surface in families in unexpected ways. Patmore brings Australia to life with a unique writing style of which I am a fan. Iris and Jarrah are on my mind still days after I turned the final page. A riveting tale that I highly recommend.’
Cate Sawyer, Author.