Cover of The Thorn Birds

Romance · Historical

The Thorn Birds

Bestseller: about 33 million copies (estimate)

Across several decades on a remote Australian sheep station, the Cleary family faces drought, hardship and loss. Daughter Meggie falls in love with a charismatic young priest whose ambition pulls him another way.

First published
1977
Pace
slow
Length
long
Format
Standalone

Read this if you want a lush, emotional family saga with a forbidden love at its centre.

Skip this if you dislike melodrama or books where the characters make each other miserable.

The feel

Content warnings

  • Sexual content
  • Death
  • Grief

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