Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Radio Hour

A Novel

ebook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks

From USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Purman comes an engaging, clever story about women's work—often unseen—during Australia's golden years of radio broadcasting.

Martha Berry is on the brink of fifty years old, unmarried, and one of an army of polite, invisible women who go to work each day at the country's national broadcaster and get things done without fuss, fanfare, or reward.

When the network prepares to launch a new radio serial in the style of their longest running and most successful show, Martha is transferred to assist the newly hired Quentin Quinn, the man who will write and produce the drama. But Mr. Quinn is wholly unprepared and ill-equipped for the role, clueless about radio and work in general. He'd rather enjoy his cigarettes and imbibe over lengthy lunch breaks and cannot be bothered to call his secretary by her correct name.

Rather than see the new show canceled, Martha steps in to hire a cast and write the scripts for the new show. Her authentic, women-focused storyline snags an ever-growing audience of loyal fans—and causes a stir with management. And Quentin Quinn is more than happy to accept the credit. But Martha's secret cannot remain hidden. All too soon she faces exposure and must decide if she will politely remain in the shadows—or boldly step into the spotlight.

The Radio Hour is at once a sharp satire exposing the lengths men once employed to keep women out of the workplace and a hopeful tale about how one woman proves her worth and unwittingly outsmarts them all.

"Bestselling Australian author Victoria Purman is one of our nation's most valued storytellers . . . " —Mrs. B's Book Reviews

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      January 1, 2025
      The 1950s workplace was a man's world in Australia as in America. Approaching 50, Martha Berry has been working for Sydney's national radio station nearly half her life, bouncing throughout the company from one secretarial post to another. No one knows the station better than she. Quentin Quinn is just the latest in a long line of bosses, albeit younger, less experienced, and far more callous than most. Charged with launching a new series drama, Quinn has no idea how to proceed, much less what the story line will be or which actors to cast. As the deadline for the first episode rapidly approaches, a panic-stricken Martha realizes that Quinn's fondness for lengthy liquid lunches will tank the project before it begins. Fortunately, she's been listening to such radio dramas since childhood, and soon the ever-resourceful Martha is writing the scripts but gaining none of the credit for the show's success. How that indignity changes is played out in a cozy, lively, feel-good escape read from one of Australia's best-selling authors.

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading