Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Sisters of the Southern Cross

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

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, Sister Claire 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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Siobhan Waring delivers Grainger's story of Irish nuns who open a school in Australia in the 1930s. There, portly, outspoken Sister Claire braves extreme heat, hostility, and memorable locals, including Indigenous people. She even challenges conniving Mayor Joseph McGrath, credibly portrayed, over the way he treats the Indigenous community. Waring graphically describes the landscape of red earth and creepy-crawlies, as well as the people associated with the school, such as Sister Teresita, who makes bats for an Irish game. When Sister Claire--a Waring standout--realizes she's in danger, she elicits the help of locals, further inflaming the situation and putting listeners on edge. Learning that the story is based on actual nuns in the 1900s makes this audiobook entertaining and educational. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading