Miles Franklin Undercover

<p><i>'There is a theory that any woman can be rescued from the shoals of failure and despair by finding some man to ask her in marriage, but before I could be happy in love I should at least need to realise myself.'</i><br><br>She dazzled Australia with her rebellious novel <i>My Brilliant Career</i>, inspiring generations of young women chafing under conventional expectations. Only 21, Miles Franklin was lauded as the Bronte of the bush, and feted by the rich and influential.<br><br>But fame can be deceptive. In reality, the book earned her a pittance. The family farm was sold, her new novels were rejected, and she was broke. Just two years after her debut, Miles disappeared.<br><br>In this real-life sequel to <i>My Brilliant Career</i>, author Kerrie Davies uncovers a little-known period in Miles' life, from the servant's quarters of Sydney and Melbourne's wealthy houses to volatile Chicago, in the turbulent years after her early success. Davies draws on a never-before-published manuscript and diary extracts from Miles' year undercover as a servant, intimate correspondence with poet Banjo Paterson, and archival sources from Australia and Chicago.<br><br><i>Miles Franklin Undercover</i> is a powerful story of a young woman's enduring resilience, and her determination to always be her own heroine.</p>