Recommended Read - Mar 2025

The Story Thief - Kyra Geddes

Have you ever wondered whether our historical tales tell the full story? Whether there may be some voices and achievements missing? This month’s recommended read explores this concept and potentially adds a new layer to a familiar narrative.

Her family's story made Henry Lawson famous. But was it his story to tell?
Fact and fiction meld into one in this stirring family saga set against shifting landscapes and pivotal moments in Australian history.

Lillian was born in 1892, the same year Henry Lawson wrote 'The Drover's Wife' and cemented his place in Australia's literary canon. When Lillian reads the short story as a teenager, she is convinced that it is based upon her own family and becomes determined to prove it. But as the years pass, the truth becomes more problematic, and Lillian must decide what is more important: holding onto the past or embracing the future.

The Story Thief is about mothers and daughters, love, loss and the power of words. Ultimately it is about how each of us must find our own way to live.

About the author

Kyra Geddes was born in Adelaide and spent her infancy in the South Australian opal fields in a setting not unlike that of 'The Drover's Wife'. Following a successful career in marketing and business, Kyra returned to university to study English and pursue her lifelong dream of writing. The Story Thief is her acclaimed debut novel, and the culmination of almost a decade of research and writing. A passionate art lover and traveller of mixed German-Italian heritage, Kyra lives in Sydney with her family.

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