SISTERS OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Narrator Siobhan Waring delivers Grainger's story of Irish nuns who open a school in Australia in the 1930s. There, portly, outspoken Sister Claire braves extreme heat, hostility, and memorable locals, including Indigenous people. She even challenges conniving Mayor Joseph McGrath, credibly portrayed, over the way he treats the Indigenous community. Waring graphically describes the landscape of red earth and creepy-crawlies, as well as the people associated with the school, such as Sister Teresita, who makes bats for an Irish game. When Sister Claire--a Waring standout--realizes she's in danger, she elicits the help of locals, further inflaming the situation and putting listeners on edge. Learning that the story is based on actual nuns in the 1900s makes this audiobook entertaining and educational. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2022]