AustLit

'Born into a strict Christian family in Sydney at the start of the century, Annie contends with an overbearing mother and a harsh religion. Kept at home, partially deafened by illness and mistreatment, she clings to her mother and her dominating religious certainties. Yet something stirs under the starch of faith. Annie finds a friend late in life and discovers a passion for living to equal her passion for gardening. In her sixties, Annie confronts her mother.

'This is the story of one woman's struggle to lay claim to her own life. And within the seemingly narrow contours of family and church and garden, Annie discovers that it is, after all, a big life.' (Publication summary)