When my debut novel Jillaroo was published in 2002 it was about rural youth suicide, the ostracism from farms some women experience based on their gender and about deep spiritual connections to landscapes.
It was hung on a love story - the romance was secondary to what I wanted to say.
Two decades on mainstream media is at last seeing that the biggest ‘romance’ I want people to have is with our land and with our own selves.
Our food systems are so broken globally it’s killing landscape and people.
My latest novel is about social rebellion ahead of romance.
As Kathy Lette so aptly put - when a woman writer gets to her 50s, she no longer writes ‘Chick Lit’ (what a demeaning term)
Instead she can fearlessly step forward and write ‘I don’t give a shit lit’.
Thank you Kathy Lette for gifting me with this term!
My latest novel ‘Milking Time’ is ‘I don’t give a shit lit’ and I’m saying what I need to say. It’s set to challenge and surprise the reader and hopefully alter the status quo of farming.
I can’t wait until my character of Connie Mulligan is let loose into the world next week. Ladies and gents - get your engines revving!
Pre order here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/milking-time-rachael-treasure/book/9781460757598.html