The radio hour
Purman, Victoria2024
Book
Martha Berry is fifty-years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare or reward. Working at the country's national broadcaster, she's seen highly-praised talent come and go over the years but when she is sent to work secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia's longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word 'pregnant' and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show. When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial's growing and loyal audience of women listeners. But she can't keep her secret forever and when she's threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows, or to finally step into the spotlight.
Main title:
The radio hour / Victoria Purman.
Author:
Purman, Victoria, author
Work:
Imprint:
Gadigal Country ; [Sydney, N.S.W.] : HQ Fiction, 2024.©2024.
Collation:
380 pages ; 24 cm.
ISBN:
9781867207801 (paperback)
Dewey class:
A823.4F
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
2072457