When Dulcie Clarke picks up her fountain pen to write her first letter to her penpal, Fran, she is unaware that their friendship will continue for decades. Both are newly-weds; Dulcie has a baby girl and Fran is expecting a baby. But there the similarities end.

Fran is a Detroit city girl enjoying modern conveniences. Dulcie is a pineapple farmer’s wife enduring the extremes of Australia. Bushfires, floods, cyclones, droughts, dingo attacks and accidents are all too common. Regardless, Dulcie’s optimism shines through, revealing her love of the land and fascination for the wild creatures that share her corner of Queensland.

Each book purchased will help support Careflight, an Australian aero-medical charity that attends emergencies, however remote.