About this ebook
A sweeping historical family saga about forbidden love, sacrifice and three generations of life in the Australian Outback.
One of the bestselling and most beloved novels of all time.
In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of the Cleary family experience love and heartbreak, triumph and tragedy, as they build a life against an unforgiving landscape.
At the heart of their story is Meggie Cleary, the family's only daughter.
From childhood, Meggie is drawn to Ralph de Bricassart, the ambitious young priest who becomes the great love of her life. But Ralph is determined to rise through the ranks of the Catholic Church, taking him from a remote parish to the highest circles of the Vatican.
Bound by duty, ambition and faith, Ralph and Meggie are forced to deny the feelings that connect them. Yet neither can escape a love that will shape the course of their lives for decades to come.
Spanning generations, continents and decades, The Thorn Birds is a powerful story of family, passion, sacrifice and the devastating consequences of forbidden love.
Perfect for readers who enjoy
*Historical family sagas
*Epic and sweeping love stories
*Forbidden romance
*Multi-generational fiction
*Australian historical fiction
*Family secrets and family drama
*Emotional, character-driven novels
*Classic bestselling fiction
Praise for The Thorn Birds
'One of the biggest-selling, most widely read books in the history of fiction' OBSERVER
'I simply could not put it down' DAILY MAIL
One of the bestselling and most beloved novels of all time.
In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of the Cleary family experience love and heartbreak, triumph and tragedy, as they build a life against an unforgiving landscape.
At the heart of their story is Meggie Cleary, the family's only daughter.
From childhood, Meggie is drawn to Ralph de Bricassart, the ambitious young priest who becomes the great love of her life. But Ralph is determined to rise through the ranks of the Catholic Church, taking him from a remote parish to the highest circles of the Vatican.
Bound by duty, ambition and faith, Ralph and Meggie are forced to deny the feelings that connect them. Yet neither can escape a love that will shape the course of their lives for decades to come.
Spanning generations, continents and decades, The Thorn Birds is a powerful story of family, passion, sacrifice and the devastating consequences of forbidden love.
Perfect for readers who enjoy
*Historical family sagas
*Epic and sweeping love stories
*Forbidden romance
*Multi-generational fiction
*Australian historical fiction
*Family secrets and family drama
*Emotional, character-driven novels
*Classic bestselling fiction
Praise for The Thorn Birds
'One of the biggest-selling, most widely read books in the history of fiction' OBSERVER
'I simply could not put it down' DAILY MAIL
A sweeping historical family saga about forbidden love, sacrifice and three generations of life in the Australian Outback.
One of the bestselling and most beloved novels of all time.
In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of the Cleary family experience love and heartbreak, triumph...
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Ratings and reviews
2 reviews
Carol Simms
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June 22, 2026
read this almost 50 years ago and couldn't forget it. read again this week and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. beautiful story, well written, raises issues still relevant today. everything a great book should have!
About the author
Colleen McCullough was born in New South Wales in 1937. A neuroscientist by training, she worked in hospitals in Australia, the UK and USA before writing her first novel. She lives with her husband on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.
Colleen McCullough was born in New South Wales in 1937. A neuroscientist by training, she worked in hospitals in Australia, the UK and USA before writing her first novel. She lives with her husband on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.
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