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The lives of a group of young women converge in 1960s New Zealand in a moving time- and continent-spanning saga.

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The experience of working for Violet Trench in her small-town cafe in the summer of 1963 shapes the lives of a group of women including Jessie Sandal, who follows Violet´s influence as far as Cambodia.

Fiona Kidman explores family relationships and the difficult journey to female independence.

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´ Songs from the Violet Cafe is a fine book beautifully written. From the "uneasy earth" of Rotorua to the "immense bright terrifying landscape" of Cambodia, the novel´s settings are vivid and adroit. It contains much potential sensation - domestic violence, illicit sexual connections, deaths and disappearances, and the desolation and venality of a country at war - but there´s also a wry humour, every intense emotion and extreme event filitered through Kidman´s cool precise prose.´ Dominion Post
´A fascinating read´ Red Magazine
´A gripping historical read´ Woman´s Own
´A thrilling tale of adventure and heartbreak - Kidman has triumphantly brought this inspirational heroine to life´ The Lady
´Remarkable´ Saturday Magazine

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