Waiting at the Sliprails

Waiting at the SliprailsSet in the upper Nepean River area of Australia, then on the Bathurst Road of New South Wales

Seeking acceptance they discovered love and forgiveness.

Will love be found in a marriage of convenience?

Bea Dawes is a foundling, alone and unloved. Her life seems to be one trauma after the other, ending up as a convict dairy maid in a penal colony half way around the world from where she was born.

Jack Barnes is escaping a home filled with hate and constant bickering. He seeks a wife but is not looking for love. He is hired as a drover, and meets Bea.

Bea accepts his offer of marriage; then discovers that he could be gone for months, leaving her alone with Billy and Netty. They are part of the tribe of Aborigines who live on his secluded farm. Bea learns to love her husband and also this wonderful aboriginal couple.

Then drought ravages the farm, and Jack must hit the long paddock with the flock. In his absence, a visitor arrives, threatening to destroy everything they have worked so hard for.

Can Bea touch this woman's heart?

Will the drought ever end and when will Jack return? Will they realise feeling of love are stronger than either realised? Does she trust him?

'Waiting at the Sliprails' is a colonial convict historical fiction story in the standalone 'Convict Birthstain Collection' that takes you back to a time when simply surviving was a battle won.

A Clean Historical Fiction Story

If you love Australian Colonial history, you will love Sara Powter's 'Waiting at the Sliprails' is an absorbing tale of love and survival in the face of adversity.

Buy 'Waiting at the Sliprails' to find out what occurs to bring the peace back to the valley.

Winner of the Spring 2024 PenCraft Award.