
Absolutely splendid - it sweeps you away. Cynthia Freeman, New York Times bestselling author Set in the untamed landscape of mid-nineteenth century Australia, The Dreaming is a rich and potent tale of hidden passion and broken taboo from acclaimed novelist Barbara Wood. Australia, 1871 Following her mother s sudden death, Joanna Drury sets sail from India and arrives in Melbourne to claim the property left to her by her mother and to trace the mysteries of her family s past. From her first steps on shore, Joanna becomes entangled with a lost boy who leads her to the fascinating Hugh Westbrook. She agrees to look after the child, Adam, in exchange for Hugh s help in finding her inheritance. But she falls deeply in love with Hugh and with life at his sheep station, Merinda. When strange nightmares begin to plague her the same that tormented her mother Joanna starts to notice the Aborigines strange reaction to her. Delving into Australia s past, she searches out the tragic events that have marked her family s destiny and her own life, events that happened long ago in the time the Aborigines call the Dreaming . Full of intriguing historical detail, Wood s compelling story brings the clash of immigrant and Aboriginal cultures to stunning life, capturing the danger, mystery, and romance of an emerging country.
Author

Barbara Wood was born on 30 January 1947 in Warrington, Lancashire, England, UK. Together with her parents and older brother, she immigrated to the United States. She grew up in Southern California and attended Los Angeles Schools. After High School, Barbara attended the University of California at Santa Barbara but left to train as a surgical technician. During this time, Barbara held numerous jobs, before she sold her first novel in 1976. A few years prior, Barbara met her husband George. To date, Barbara has written 22 books, including two under the pen name Kathryn Harvey, these books are quite different from the Barbara Wood's novels and she, her agent and editor agreed that a pen name would serve to indicate the difference. She is an international best selling author with books translated into over 30 languages. The reader is transported to exotic countries that Barbara has meticulously researched to provide her fans with a true sense of the culture and history relevant to each story. At the heart of every book, is a strong, independent woman. Currently, Barbara is busy working on her next story that will, no doubt, showcase an extraordinary heroine in an exciting and intriguing adventure. When not writing, Barbara often takes time to enjoy the work of other authors, and that of a certain well-known martial artist, whose name is listed among the "Ten things you might not know about Barbara.