Restless Dolly Maunder

‘There is no doubt Grenville is one of our greatest writers.’ – Sunday Mail
‘[Grenville] is a gift of a writer.’ – Age
‘Nobody writes historical fiction like Kate Grenville. Again and again she has brought history—both the official records and the messy tensions in the margins—to life…Women like Dolly Maunder rarely make it into the history books. Here, she’s honoured by one of our best.’ * Qantas Magazine *
‘Grenville uses exacting research to imagine her way into the life of another—this time a woman she once feared, and with whom she appeared to have come to some understanding.’ * Guardian *
‘…the writing sparkles with Grenville’s gift for transcendently clear imagery…a work of history, biography, story and memoir, all fused into a novel that suggests the great potential of literary art as redeemer, healer and pathway to understanding.’ * Guardian *
‘Grenville’s quiet and insightful prose makes this book a joy and an inspiration to read.’ * Readings *
‘Grenville’s achievement in this deeply moving book is that in resurrecting the woman behind her grim-faced grandmother, she’s given us insight into a generation too easily dismissed as archaic, narrow-minded, inflexible and slightly ridiculous. Yet again, she’s transformed faded history into something pulsing and alive.’ * Good Reading (5 stars) *
‘Family memoir and reimagined history dovetail beautifully in Restless Dolly Maunder.’ * Conversation *
‘An easy and fast-paced read…as much a story of Australia’s history as it is the tale of a strong, intelligent and thwarted woman whose struggles helped transform the lives of generations to follow. There’s a sense that in recreating her grandmother with an empathetic and careful eye, Grenville is also healing the past.’ * Compulsive Reader *
‘[Restless Dolly Maunder] successfully interweaves memoir, biography and remembrance of things past into a nuanced piece of fiction – Grenville has produced a novel that is unafraid of pushing the scope of what it means to unpick the intricacies of family history. There is a tenderness to the weight of the realities Grenville offers us – an awareness that love can wound, but that it can also redeem.’ * ArtsHub *
‘Grenville’s pacy prose invests the humdrum details…with clarity and drama. Her generous detail and spare, evocative imagery bring the historical landscape to life.’ * Australian Book Review *
‘An effortless, economical performance. It convinces, without showing the art involved.’ * Age *
‘A powerful novel about a woman determined to rise above her station…It feels like a privilege to share in Grenville’s indomitable grandmother’s journey.’ * The Times *
‘It is to the author’s credit that she offers us the ambivalence and complex textures of experience without losing the rhythm and pace of realist fiction. The landscapes, townscapes and domestic interiors are as vivid and memorable as we have come to expect from her writing, and the large cast is always kept in focus.’ * Times Literary Supplement *
‘Grenville, who has made a career from filling in the gaps in the lives of forgotten Australian women from history, tells Dolly’s story swiftly, cleanly and compassionately, all the while refusing to let this difficult, furious woman off the hook. Excellent.’ * Daily Mail *
‘The masterful Grenville addresses the question of why this brilliant, frustrated woman struggled to express love to her children with clarity and compassion in a swift, thoroughly absorbing book.’ * Mail on Sunday *
‘Best Australian book of the year that is set in Australia…Kate is such a wonderful writer and this would be my favourite novel of hers. A captivating heart warming page turner. This book will make you reflect on the changing nature of women’s lives and expectations and it is the perfect book for lovers of Australian history (one of the best descriptions of how the Great Depression affected ‘ordinary’ people that I’ve read) as well as lovers of great writing. Perfect for the whole family but if you’ve got a baby boomer that’s hard to buy for then look no further! I bought this for my mother-in-law and got a three page essay in response (it’s that sort of book). Also great for bookclub reading in 2024. Out in a lovely hardback!’ * Australian Book of the Year, Fairfield Books *
‘A deceptively polished gem; her best book, I reckon.’ * Clare Wright, Best Books of 2024, Spectrum *

Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most celebrated writers. Her international bestseller The Secret River was awarded local and overseas prizes, has been adapted for the stage and as an acclaimed television miniseries, and is now a much-loved classic. Grenville’s other novels include Sarah Thornhill, The Lieutenant, Dark Places and the Orange Prize winner The Idea of Perfection. Her recent non-fiction includes One Life- My Mother’s Story, The Case Against Fragrance and Elizabeth Macarthur’s Letters. Her most recent novel is the bestselling A Room Made of Leaves. She has also written three books about the writing process. In 2017 Grenville was awarded the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature.

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