The Woman Booker Prize Club is a local Hobart book club. Here they share their thoughts on books by Tasmanian authors, set in Tasmania, or about Tassie topics. Over to the club!

This month we review two wonderfully warming books for your winter reading: a delightful (heart warming) historical fiction from Karen Brooks and the (stomach warming) culinary/budget mastery of Chelsea Goodwin.

The Whisky Widow by Karen Brooks (Harper Collins, June 2025)

Review by Emily Schade

Karen Brooks weaves a daring tale of courage, survival, history and spirit in her latest work of historical fiction, The Whisky Widow.

We meet Greer MacAlister, recently widowed (not entirely a tragedy), in the Scottish Highlands – where she has just discovered she’s penniless, homeless, and in a bit of strife having been labelled an ‘incomer’. Greer talks her way into a housekeeping job in a small, wary village in the remote Highlands where whisky is a way of life and means of survival, albeit illegal. Greer must employ all her skills and cunning to earn the trust of the Highlanders and prove her worth.

In making a life for herself and her daughter, Greer embarks on a tale of bravery, adventure, smuggling, love and murder, all with a few dramas.

Karen is a beautiful author and her work is set apart by her exceptional research skills. Karen distills wondrous fiction with facts and tales from a bygone era that leaves the reader thirsty for more.

Decked out in tartan, we were fortunate enough to attend the launch of The Whisky Widow and hear from Karen. Appropriately held at the brewstillery she owns with her husband, Captain Bligh’s, along with some local whisky legends (possible inspiration for some of the book’s characters…), Karen’s passion for her work was inspiring. Her love of her adopted home, Tasmania, makes us adore her and her work even more! Thank you Karen for this beautiful story.

Money-Saving Meal Plans with Chelsea by Chelsea Goodwin (Penguin Random House, April 2025)

Review by Kathryn Montgomery

Simple, tasty and nutritious is the trifecta that I want for weeknight meals and Chelsea Goodwin delivers on this with her budget-beating recipes. Laid out with eight weeks worth of meal plans, this is the perfect book for someone looking to lower the cost and stress of ‘what’s for dinner?’

I’ve tested a few recipes from different weeks, including Beef Massaman Curry and Red Curry Laska, suited for the cool Hobart nights recently. Both were incredibly low fuss, and fit the bill in terms of tasty with lots of leftovers! There are also guidance notes alongside the recipes that are particularly helpful. Don’t eat meat, don’t have that spice? No worries, she’s got an alternative.

There are plenty of variations and also notes about storing leftovers or freezing. She’s included all those tidbits of wisdom that take years in the kitchen to build up.

This book is perfect for anyone who is looking for meal planning, cooking for a group, or looking for meals with leftovers. And check out Chelsea’s Facebook group – $10 Meals Australia – Budget Cooking Community – it has a cult following and plenty of inspiration for making the most out of your food budget.

Book Chatter

There’s a new publisher in town! Lauded local author, bookseller, conceptual artist, etcetera, Adam Ouston is now adding publisher to his job title with Evercreech Editions. The first book off the press is My Heart at Evening by Konrad Muller, a literary novel looking at Henry Hellyer’s last days in 1800s north west Tasmania. Both publisher and book will be launched at Fullers on 7 August.

We’d also like to welcome crime writer, Angela Slatter, as this year’s Writer in Residence at the Hedberg.

Keen to chat books with us? Find us on Instagram @thewomanbookerprizeclub