A WOMAN OF COURAGE [Paperback] J.H. Fletcher

Fletcher drops you into 1920s Australia, where Marjorie Buckley refuses to stay quiet. Born into a world that expects women to marry well and shut up, she builds a shipping empire instead — battling sexist bankers, ruthless competitors, and a society that can't handle a woman with ambition. This is historical fiction that doesn't sand down the edges. Fletcher knows the period cold, from the smoke-filled boardrooms to the docks where fortunes are made and lost. Marjorie's not a saint; she's stubborn, flawed, and brilliant. The romance subplot feels earned, not tacked on. If you loved the grit of *The Thorn Birds* but wanted more ruthless capitalism and fewer priests, this delivers. Australian historical fiction readers, this one's yours.