About the Book A charming and funny look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia that celebrates the extraordinary but unseen women who captivated a nation with their authentic stories of ordinary lives. Martha Berry is fifty years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare, or reward. Working at the country's national broadcaster, she's seen highly praised talent come and go over the years. But when she is sent to work as the secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia's longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word pregnant, and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show. When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts for As the Sun Sets, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial's growing and loyal audience of women listeners. But she can't keep her secret forever and when she's threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows or finally step into the spotlight. About the Author Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA TODAY bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, A Woman's Work, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Nurses' War, The Women's Pages, The Land Girls, and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA TODAY bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter, and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript. Connect with her online at victoriapurman.com. ReviewAuthor Victoria Purman has written an interesting and engaging story about women’s work and work rights during the Australian golden years of radio broadcasting. This story is about a 50 year old single spinster woman, Martha Berry, that must fight to make her mark in her secretary job in a broadcasting office in a work world completely dominated by men and where women tend to get lost and left in the dust and the dark. This is a gripping and fascinating story that readers will enjoy; especially those that don’t know Australian history very well. Genre: historical fiction Publisher: Harper Muse Publication date: February 4, 2025 Number of pages: 364 Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. 
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