Rachael Treasure is the author of rural fiction bestsellers including Jillaroo, The Stockman and The Cattleman's Daughter. Her new memoir, Down the Dirt Roads (Penguin), is about her life as a mother, writer and agricultural activist on a farm in Tasmania, where she moved after her marriage ended.
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My Brilliant Career
Miles Franklin
As a teenager, I was absorbed by Sybylla Melvyn's rural life and the young writer's frustrations in My Brilliant Career. A teacher told me Miles Franklin used her non-gender-specific name, ahead of her first name, Stella, because books were more likely to enjoy success if written by a man. That sexist notion, whether accurate or not, put petrol on the flame of my desire to be a writer for women, about women in rural settings.
You Can Heal Your Life
Louise Hay
After my first baby, I realised I'd been striving to emulate men or serve them all my life. I didn't know how to exist in the feminine role of motherhood and was isolated on the farm with a "suck it up princess" mentality. A working-dog trainer friend gave me Louise Hay's book, which woke me up to new ways of seeing myself and became a stepping-stone to greater self-care.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
The Book Thief reminded me how powerful words and stories are. In following Liesel's journey I saw how such a hard start in life during Nazi occupation was transcended via love and stories. I read it at a time when my marriage had died, I had no money and was contemplating getting "a real job" instead of sticking at being a writer. This book kept me writing … and loving … no matter what.
Pussy: A Reclamation
Regina Thomasauer
I was almost too shy to include Pussy: A Reclamation because of the title. However, after Donald Trump's derogatory references to the "Divine gateway of humanity" that we women possess between our legs, I thought, it's time to name it up! Regina gave me answers to questions I'd been long asking. It contains game-changing wisdom that will make the world a better place for everyone, and I'm a brighter, more vibrant woman because of it.
