Karleen Stevens

In The Mood Karleen Stevens

For a young woman in the rural suburbs of Sydney, war would bring momentous change - as well as timely opportunity.

In 1927, life in the Australian countryside was simple and predictable. Children shared beds to keep warm, shopkeepers knew their customers by name and evening entertainment was found in the cinema, the dance halls or in sitting rooms around the country where the wireless was the focal point of the family home.

Then in 1939, as men left their jobs to head for the battlefields once more, women stepped up to fill the gaps in the workforce and Marge Stevenson discovered a freedom and optimism that even profound grief couldn't temper. In the aftermath of the conflict she found a new life as a shearer's wife, and with her husband Jack at her side took on the challenges of raising a family in the remote Australian outback, making a living in a changing world and ultimately embracing life on her own.

Not just a biography, this is the story of a nation's history, and how it shaped the ordinary life of an extraordinary woman. Armed with a trusty set knitting needles and her dancing shoes, Marge faced life's challenges with a smile, learnt to thrive in the midst of tragedy, and proved that unconditional love really can be the glue that holds a family together.