Restless Dolly Maunder is a novel by Kate Grenville, published in 2023 and based on the life of her own grandmother.
It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2024 and longlisted for Best Fiction in the Indie Book Awards Australia 2024. It was also a Daily Mail Novel of the Year in 2023.
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Book Blurb
Born into the sweat and drudgery of a New South Wales sheep farm at the end of the 19th century, Dolly Maunder is different to her siblings. She will not endure the small, servile existence of a wife. Dolly, bright, ambitious and stubborn, dreams of a different fate, of building something that she truly owns.
She will do whatever it takes to be the woman she deserves to be. Even with a husband and children, Dolly pushes the boundaries of what is ‘proper’ and what a wife and mother ought to do, as war spreads across Europe and the rules are forever changed. But every life has its limits. What happens when Dolly’s wanderlust finally risks taking her too far?
Restless Dolly Maunder Book Review
I’m afraid to say I was disappointed with this book. While Dolly Maunder’s life was undeniably interesting, the way her story was told lacked the emotional depth I had hoped for.
There was such potential to tell a fascinating story of a fierce, independent woman but I was unfortunately left feeling quite underwhelmed.
While Restless Dolly Maunder is a novel based on a real person, it often reads more like non-fiction, which left me feeling emotionally detached from the story. Despite Dolly having such an interesting life, the way it was told felt flat in places and lacked the depth and development I usually enjoy in character-driven novels.
Dolly herself is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, especially for a woman of her time. She’s strong, steely, and prickly, with a relentless drive to break free from the confines of a woman’s traditional role. Her ambition and determination were admirable, though her inability to express love, particularly toward her children, made her a complex and at times difficult character.
One thing the novel does capture perfectly is the frustration of being born female in a world dominated by men. Dolly’s constant striving for more, her refusal to be content with her lot, paints her as an early feminist figure.
The other characters, however, felt underdeveloped in comparison. I appreciate that it was Dolly’s story but the lack of progession for anyone else made the story feel a bit one-dimensional.
Overall, I did appreciate Dolly’s strong will and how she broke down societal norms, but I’m afraid this book just fell a little short for me.