'This is a masterful novel...readers who loved Goodwood will find even more to love here.' Books + Publishing on Cedar Valley'So much truth, so much aching and pain by humour. What a wonderful book. I can see the Australian novelist continuum from Patrick White and Thea Astley in her explicit representation of the character of Australians in regional towns. Others have compared Throsby with Tim Winton. I hope she is writing another book.' Lindy Morrison in LoudMouth on Goodwood'Stunning...a distinctly Australian coming-of-age story...balancing carefully evoked dread with genuine warmth, it's an assured and singular debut.' The Big Issue on Goodwood'He strolled down Valley Road, only briefly, past the hairdresser and a small cafe. A warm wind stirred, carrying with it the faint smell of pies and horses, and the man paused for just a moment before he sat down. Benny Miller would have driven right past him in her station wagon on that bright and brimming day.'On the first day of summer in 1993, two strangers arrive in the town of Cedar Valley. One is a calm looking man in a brown suit. He makes his way down the main street and walks directly to Cedar Valley Curios Old Wares, sitting down on the footpath, where he leans silently against the big glass window for hours. The other is 21-year-old Benny Miller. Fresh out of university, Benny has come to Cedar Valley in search of information about her mother, Vivian, who has recently died. Vivian's mysterious old friend, Odette Fisher, has offered Benny her modest pale green cottage for as long as she wants it. Is there any connection between the man on the pavement and Benny's quest to learn more about her mother? Holly Throsby is the perfect guide as Cedar Valley and its inhabitants slowly reveal their secrets.Praise for Goodwood: 'The kind of big-hearted, emotionally bruising story that reminds you why you love fiction... Goodwood is many things: a satisfying and conscientiously constructed mystery, an affectionate but clear-eyed portrait of a time and a place, and a darkly lovely coming of age story. But most of all, it's a complete revelation, the conjuring up of a sad, beautiful, indelible little world of its own' - The Sydney Morning Herald'It has been a while since I lost a weekend to a debut novel... There is so much to enjoy about this book; my tip is that it will become a firm book club favourite. Five stars!' - Good Reading Magazine
Industry Reviews
'This is a masterful novel. Throsby has a feel for small towns, as first evidenced in her debut novel, Goodwood, and once again in this second novel. There's a fragility at the core of her characters and an intimacy that adds depth to their quirks and peccadillos; there is such heart in her storytelling. Throsby has artfully used a true unsolved Australian mystery as a plot device and it works remarkably well here. Cedar Valley is written with an assured hand and is essential reading for those who like their Australian rural tales with a touch of mystery. Readers who loved Goodwood will find even more to love here.' - Deborah Crabtree, Books + Publishing
