You may know her as the beloved author of children's books starring Berky the Bush Turkey, but Pamela Gargett has recently finished penning her second book for adults drawn from inspiration from the Pioneer Valley.
Based in regional Queensland, titled The Quilted Valley, Ms Gargett’s novel is the second in The Cane Suite trilogy.
The Quilted Valley begins in Longreach with the return of a World War I soldier, and ends up in the Pioneer Valley – the namesake of the book.
A Mackay resident, Pamela has travelled extensively throughout Queensland – with the people and places she has come across helping to fuel her books.
“I’ve always thought of the Pioneer Valley as a patchwork with the spread of farms – all the interconnecting properties and the people who live there – forming a beautiful vista,” Pamela said.
“It was this view of the Valley, and how those people live alongside each other – all connected yet separate – that set the foundation for the interlocking stories in the book.”
While the third book is in the making, Pamela describes The Cane Suite trilogy as a set that can also be read as standalone books.
“The Quilted Valley has some totally new characters – with many strong, independent females leading the story threads.
“In this book, we watch those characters evolve from that post-WWI time through to the 2000s – with the third book then bringing those characters to the present day.”
Pamela is a former lecturer, teacher, and mentor to aspiring educators and has also authored two children’s books with the well-loved character Berky the Turkey – Birds Don’t Have Birthdays (2019) and How the Brush Turkey Lost His Egg (2017).
The Quilted Valley can be purchased at bit.ly/thequiltedvalley or on Amazon.
