The Opal Dragonfly

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

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Description

'As you read Leatherdale's second novel, you will feel as though you're walking the streets of colonial Sydney . . . masterful storytelling, precise research, and drama that doesn't let up over the 500-plus pages.' Daily Telegraph

September, 1851. Sydney, city of secrets and gossip. When seventeen-year-old Isobel Macleod dares to trespass into a forbidden male world, she is plunged into social disgrace, and a wave of ill fortune engulfs her family.

Is Isobel to blame for her family's fate or could the cause lie further in the past with the gift of a 'cursed' opal heirloom

Isobel's hopes for her future depend on a charming bohemian who encourages her hidden passion to become an artist. Will she be able to bear permanent exile from her beloved family home Or will she be transformed into a new self, like a magnificent dragonfly emerging into the sunlight

The Opal Dragonfly tells the bittersweet story of an ambitious family's fall from grace and a brave young woman's struggle to find her true self.

'This musical lyricist is carving himself a niche with sumptuous historical fiction.' Australian Women's Weekly

Reviews

'Sumptuously wrought Australian historical fiction...elegantly written, visually stunning and richly detailed - the work of an author who treats his subjects with utmost care and honesty...a classic, sweeping romance in the traditional sense of the word, with a heart-stopping climax and an immensely satisfying conclusion, as well as a beautiful touch of magic that whispers throughout. A most absorbing and illuminating read' - Kim Kelly, author of Paper Daisies and This Red Earth


'The Opal Dragonfly is an ambitious undertaking that presents all of the class bigotry and narrow-mindedness of the era. Its characters and awkward coming-of-age scenes are reminiscent of Austen. That, combined with Dickensian social realism, has resulted in Leatherdale creating a memorable, epic work that is destined to become an Australian literary classic.' - The Historical Novel Society

'Sydney in the 1850s came alive on the pages.I was glued to the story as secrets, rejection, deceit, jealousy, madness, betrayal and death after death after death swirled around...a real page turner and hard to put down.' - Sallyfromoz (Wordpress)

'A truly stunning work of fiction as one expects from an author such as Julian Leatherdale. A vivid and stunning portrayal of colonial Australia, rich in history and research. The Opal Dragonfly is a credit to Leatherdale's superb standard of storytelling. A must read novel, and easily in my top ten reads for 2018.' - Ausromtoday

'Leatherdale's latest book is an intricate Australian saga, with gothic undertones that takes its inspiration from historical architecture, real life figures in Australia's history books and pivotal events from times past. The Opal Dragonfly promises any reader who selects this tale a finely detailed novel, full of emotion, drama and a richly textured history.' - Mrs B's Book Reviews


'As you read Leatherdale's second novel, you will feel as though you're walking through the streets of colonial Sydney...[The Opal Dragonfly] combines masterful storytelling, precise research, and drama that doesn't let up over the 500-plus pages.' - The Daily Telegraph

Author Bio

Julian Leatherdale's first love was theatre. On graduation, he wrote lyrics for four comedy cabarets and a two-act musical. In 2017 he wrote the short play A Life in Ten Meals for the theatre project Breaking Bread, and in 2018 the black comedy The Man Who Became Santa. He discovered a passion for popular history as a staff writer, researcher and photo editor for Time-Life's Australians At War series. He later researched and co-wrote two Film Australia-ABC documentaries, Return to Sandakan and The Forgotten Force, and was an image researcher at the State Library of New South Wales. He was the public relations manager for a hotel school in the Blue Mountains where he lives with his family. His first novel, Palace of Tears, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2015 and HarperCollins Germany in 2016. His essay on the Hydro Majestic and Mark Foy was published on the Dictionary of Sydney website for the 2015 Blue Mountains Icons project. His second novel, The Opal Dragonfly, was published in 2018. His debut YA novel, The Phantasmic Detective Agency, will be published by Eagle Books in 2020. Death in the Ladies' Goddess Club is his third adult novel.