Rosalie Ham: Molly

It’s 1914 and Molly Dunnage wants to see change: at home, at work — and in underwear. 

Her burgeoning corsetry business is starting to take off. She’s marching with Melbourne’s suffragists for better conditions for women everywhere. And her family are turning their minds to country retirement. 

But as the clouds of war gather and an ominous figure starts skulking in the shadows of her life, Molly’s dreams start to falter. Then, when true love drops out of the sky and into her arms, her hopes for her life and the world are entirely upended. 

Molly is an unforgettable story of hopes lost, love found, and corsets loosened. Join Rosalie Ham in conversation with Nicole Abadee about her latest novel, a prequel to the international bestseller The Dressmaker. 

Rosalie Ham is the author of The Dressmaker, Summer at Mount Hope, There Should be More Dancing, The Year of the Farmer and The Dressmaker’s Secret. She was born and raised in Jerilderie, NSW, and now lives in Melbourne. She holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and teaches literature. Molly is her new book. 

Nicole Abadee has worked in the book industry for many years, after her previous career as a barrister. She writes about books for Good Weekend and is also a regular contributor to their much-loved Two of Us column. She appears regularly as a facilitator at writers’ festivals and literary events. Nicole is a director of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation — the 2024 winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. 

Host or Publisher State Library of New South Wales