Emily Paull

Two years ago, I reviewed a book called The Woolgrower's Companion  which told the story of Kate Dowd, a young woman who had to take control of her destiny and begin running her family property during the turmoil of 1945. It remains one of my favourite Australian debut novels (and if you want to know why, you should check out that review.) Imagine my delight to discover that a sequel was due to be published this year.   The Burnt Country  is Kate's story three years later. The war is over, and Kate has been separated from her husband Jack for some time, but that doesn't mean he's leaving her alone. Jack, aware that there is money to be had from Kate and her property Amiens, offers his estranged wife a deal-- pay him ten thousand pounds and he'll let her be the wronged party in their divorce proceedings. But if Kate can't pay, he'll petition for the divorce himself and he'll name her as an adulterer.  Things are already tough for Kate. Many of...

Last night, I stayed up late finishing The Testaments   by Margaret Atwood. Earlier this year, when it was announced, I wasn't that excited by the prospect of a Handmaid's Tale  sequel. I had vague memories of having read the first book and not being blown away by it. I would have been about 17 when I read it, and I didn't realise how important a book it was. I remember thinking 'This is speculative fiction and it's too far removed from real life.' I think that book must have come into my life at the wrong time. I have led a very privileged life, and my reaction to The Handmaid's Tale  certainly shows that. Over the course of the past year, particularly in the re-writing of stories for Well-Behaved Women , I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a woman. I know that the viewpoints in my short story collection by no means encompass what it's like to be every woman. I can only show quite a limited set of points of view. My character...