I was so excited to read The Windmill in the Silver Gums I have loved the Settler's Bridge series and it was great to be back with so many familiar characters. It was like visiting old friends.
Present day - After Indi's father is involved in a farming accident, Indi finds herself working the farm on her own. Finances are tight but she is determined not to lose the family farm that has been handed down through the generations.
In The Windmill in the Silver Gums Leonie Kelsall highlights the hardships of working on the land for a living. Readers living in farming communities will resonate with her characters' circumstances whilst city dwellers will feel empathy and possibly obtain a clearer understanding of the plight of farmers as they are at the mercy of the weather, shortage of funds and life-altering farming accidents.
I loved how characters from previous books pop in and out of the narrative. It gives that added level of connection whilst also leaving the book able to be read as a stand alone.
The dual timeline gives the reader a feel for how farms are more than just a livelihood as they are handed down from generation to generation. The farm is in their very being.
Leonie Kelsall has ventured more into the farming side of rural life in The Windmill in the Silver Gums than her previous novels which were more community focused.
Even though the story held my interest right from the start I would have liked a bit more romance between Indi and Blake. However, they got there in the end.
My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 30th June 2026
Genre: Rural Fiction / Romance
RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)
Pages: 368
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
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