Missy arrastra una vida sin alicientes en la localidad australiana de Byron. Una existencia llena de estrecheces económicas y la convivencia con su madre y su tía constituyen las referencias vitales en que se mueve nuestra heroína cotidiana. Hasta que, inesperadamente, entra en escena John Smith, un desconocido que proyecta instalarse en el valle cercano a la casa en que habita Missy. A partir de aquí, despuntará un mundo de felicidad y entrega que colmará las ilusiones, hasta entonces frustradas, de la protagonista del relato. El hechizo del amor hará milagros y Missy alcanzará una vida llena, por encima de las mezquinas tensiones familiares y la marginación femenina de que había sido víctima.

Sweet and satisfying ( )

Colleen McCullough shows her narrative strength in this short novel that tells the story of a family of patriarchs who are outwitted by one of their own. Wonderfully rich characters with just a little magic woven in.

The Ladies of Missalonghi is enjoyable to a point, but it had to be plagiarized from L. M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle. There's simply no other way to explain the similarities. McCullough is an able writer so it doesn't make sense that she'd copy a story so blatantly, but she clearly did. Maybe it was intended as a tribute of sorts? The story is well written and I read it in one sitting, but there are a few disquieting things that are somehow supposed to be palatable to the reader. I will probably not reread this. ( )

Plagiarized and inferior version of The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. ( )