{"title":"Mary-Lou Stephens","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMary-Lou Stephens\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts evocative historical fiction steeped in Tasmanian settings, weaving tales rich with heritage and heart. Her novels, from stirring family sagas to intriguing stories of espionage and adventure, offer immersive journeys into the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers of \u003cem\u003eFiona McIntosh\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVictoria Purman\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eJudy Nunn\u003c\/em\u003e, Stephens’s works blend page-turning narratives with deep emotional resonance, making them ideal companions for those who cherish thoughtful and engaging historical storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-chocolate-factory-by-mary-lou-stephens-9781867255659","title":"The Chocolate Factory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove, friendship and dangerous secrets in the early years of Cadbury's Tasmanian factory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt's 1921, and after years of working for Cadbury's at Bournville, Dorothy Adwell is on her way to a new adventure in the colonies, helping to establish the Firm's new Australian factory. A promotion and a fresh start are just what she needs after the horrors of the Great War and the loss of her beloved husband. During the long sea voyage, she meets Thomas and is immediately drawn to him. The war has left Thomas damaged, both mentally and emotionally, and Dorothy vows to help him—if only he will let her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMaisie Greenwood is the oldest daughter of a war widow, living on a pittance in the Hobart suburb of the Glebe. Her mother's health is failing, and with two younger siblings depending on her, the security of a job at the brand-new Cadbury's factory is a godsend. With Dorothy's mentorship and her budding romance with fellow worker Frank, life begins to look a little sweeter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCadbury's competitors have one goal: to steal the recipe for Dairy Milk, the most popular chocolate in the world. But the recipe is kept in a vault and the few who know it are legally bound to never divulge its secret. When chocolate spies target the new factory, Dorothy and Maisie become caught up in their plot. Can they protect the recipe, help those they love and fulfil their own dreams?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA tangled web of ambition and intrigue melts into a tale as delicious and rich as chocolate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46552596414700,"sku":"9781867255659","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22683513482852.jpg?v=1750052611"},{"product_id":"the-jam-maker-by-mary-lou-stephens-9781867255673","title":"The Jam Maker","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJam is sweet but it can also burn.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasmania, 1874.\u003c\/strong\u003e Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as a label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFour years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear, and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, \u003cem\u003eThe Jam Maker\u003c\/em\u003e is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Brought to vivid life with richness, colour, and incredible warmth, the prose sings in this bitter-sweet Tasmanian tale of triumph over adversity, love, loyalty and the ties that bind and divide. \u003cem\u003eThe Jam Maker\u003c\/em\u003e is another irresistible story from Mary-Lou Stephens, one that will sweep you into its heart and linger in yours. Simply delicious.' Bestselling Australian author Karen Brooks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46554427687148,"sku":"9781867255673","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22683653482852.jpg?v=1750085908"},{"product_id":"the-last-of-the-apple-blossom-by-mary-lou-stephens-9781867266419","title":"The Last of the Apple Blossom","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe fire took everything - except two women's fighting spirits. A sweeping, big-hearted Australian family saga for readers of Judy Nunn and Victoria Purman.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e7 February, 1967. Walls of flame reduce much of Tasmania to ash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYoung schoolteacher Catherine Turner rushes to the Huon Valley to find her family's apple orchard destroyed, her childhood home in ruins, and her brother dead. Despite her father's declaration that a woman will never run the orchard, Catherine resolves to rebuild the family business.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter five sons, Catherine's friend and neighbour, Annie Pearson, is overjoyed by the birth of a much longed-for daughter. As Annie and her husband Dave work to repair the damage to their orchard, Dave's friend Mark pitches in, despite the fact that Annie wants him gone. Mark has moved his family to the valley to escape his life in Melbourne, but his wife has disappeared, leaving chaos in her wake and their young son Charlie in Mark's care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCatherine becomes fond of Charlie, whose strange upbringing has left him shy and withdrawn. However, the growing friendship between Mark and Catherine not only scandalises the small community but threatens a secret Annie is desperate to keep hidden. Through natural disasters, personal calamities, and the devastating collapse of the apple industry, Catherine, Annie, and those they love battle to save their livelihoods, their families, and their secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'What a cracker of a debut! 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What she doesn't expect is to be blackmailed into becoming a spy, torn from the safety of Tasmania and taken to the viper's nest of intrigue and plots that is South America during the rise of Nazi power. Her instincts and charms will only get her so far ...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFebruary 1973: The grand opening of Australia's most glamorous, talked about and controversial hotel, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJenny Davies anticipates a night surrounded by dizzying decor and thrilling action. What she doesn't expect is an invitation to become a Ladybird, one of the casino's croupiers. But Jenny's choice to pursue this exclusive career creates a devastating chain of events that could destroy her life as she knows it. Can a mysterious letter and the gift of a key from a relative Jenny has never heard of somehow be the answer to all of her problems?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Hobart Hotel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'This dual-time, glamorous story of intrigue, spies, trust, deceit, friendship, daring and luck - and so much more - will absolutely sweep you off your feet.' 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When chocolate spies target the new factory, Dorothy and Maisie become caught up in their plot. Can they protect the recipe, help those they love, and fulfil their own dreams?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA tangled web of ambition and intrigue melts into a tale as delicious and rich as chocolate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Like the chocolate at its centre, this adroitly crafted story is both deliciously bitter and heart-achingly sweet. Totally enthralling and completely and utterly satisfying. 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