Nine Months of Summer

“compelling and utterly relatable” – Readers’ Favorite

“Impeccably written in clear, succinct, yet sophisticated prose” – Jasmina Brankovich

“I felt myself transported” – Katherine Webber

About Nine Months of Summer

Seeking asylum from the wreckage of her life, Yvette Grimm arrives in Australia and overstays her holiday visa.

Desperate to carve a life for herself as an illegal British migrant, she invests her hopes in a palm-reader’s prophecy: she is to meet the father of her children before she’s thirty. But Yvette is already twenty-nine, and the quest takes her on a picaresque journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Set in Perth against the backdrop of Australia’s migrant history present and past, Nine Months of Summer is a moving, relevant and at times comical story of personal growth, purpose and coming of age.

Praise for Nine Months of Summer

“Nine Months of Summer is a rewarding read, rather like a meal when you savour every mouthful instead of gulping it down” – Ann Creber, book critic

“They say the mind does not create, and that it only cuts and pastes the stimulus it receives from the outside world. Isobel Blackthorn has a talent for this, in fact, I often get the feeling with her that she is cataloguing my idiosyncrasies. I suspect I am not the only one to suspect this, and that she has an arsenal of our traits and habits to be appropriated for the right character at the right time. It’s the literary skill that brought us Plath’s The Bell Jar, and it goes by the name of semi-autobiography.” Ness Mercieca (first appeared in The Tertangala, Oct 15)

A solid story that deals with one woman’s journey to adulthood while underscoring the social and political injustices faced by those who don’t hold Australian citizenship. Although some of the language will be strange to non-Australian speakers, the story is nevertheless compelling and utterly relatable. Well worth the read. – Readers’ Favorite

”Nine Months of Summer has all my favourite elements: politics, social justice, and strong women characters. Impeccably written in clear, succinct, yet sophisticated prose, Nine Months of Summer is a thoroughly enjoyable read.” Jasmina Brankovich, writer (Perth)

”I am totally hooked and need more. I love it that you give us an English perspective to a subject matter that is so often associated with non-English speaking peoples.” Jasmin Ately (Canberra)

“I couldn’t put it down! You’re a very good writer, not that I’m an expert but I judge by whether a book grips me or I can take it or leave it. Yours gripped tight!” Margo Shaw (Scotland)

“Nine Months of Summer by Isobel Blackthorn was a pleasure to read. Within pages of starting the book I was drawn into the story of Yvette and her relationships with the permanent women and transient men in her life. Capturing the inconsistencies in policy and disgust many feel about current politics around who is welcomed to Australia, the story travels across Australia. I have never been to Perth or Fremantle but I felt myself transported.” – Katherine Webber QLD