Yesterday, Victoria Purman‘s novel The Radio Hour got its US release (less than a year after its original publication in Australia). Set in Sydney in 1956, it follows fifty-year-old Martha Berry and her unexpected and ultimately impactful role in radio broadcasting. This novel highlights women’s rights and how “it’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

Why I Chose This Book:
I love the subject of radio broadcasting and storytelling through such a medium. When I was in college, one of my two majors was Communication, so reading about broadcasting is always interesting for me. The Radio Hour also caught my attention for its focus on working women in 1950s Australia.

What I Liked:
- Older main character than I usually read: she turns 50 towards the beginning of the book
- Dealing with unqualified, incompetent men…
- Finally getting more respect in the workplace (even if it is two decades late!)
- Martha steps up to write stories for a radio serial, often borrowing from her own life
- Drawing inspiration from other women who didn’t get the respect they deserved in their lifetime (including authors like George Eliot and Charlotte Brontë)
- Shining a light on women’s working rights, women’s health, workplace harassment, and immigrant lives
- Excerpts of Martha’s radio show, As the Sun Sets
- Humor (including the so-called Calendar Girls)
- “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

Final Thoughts
The Radio Hour unfolds layer by layer into a novel that I really loved. Martha is unlike other characters I read, both for her age (50) and the fact that she’s never married or had any romantic relationship. She’s never had significant goals, and I loved watching her blossom here, after over 20 years at her job. This novel brings readers into the world of radio broadcasting, rights and challenges women faced, and how you can find yourself at any age.

This was such a charming and heartwarming story!

I loved stepping back into the 1950s and Australia’s golden age of radio, when families gathered around the “wireless” to listen to their favorite programs.

This was right before television was starting there, and people were so invested in the characters and story. I loved learning about the process of making these shows and how popular they were.

I thought it was interesting that the government had concerns about American television shows like Perry Mason and I Love Lucy airing, because they didn’t want their Australian children picking up American accents.

The highlight of the story was Martha Berry. In her younger years she had dreams of marriage, children, and a home. By the age of 50, Martha is at peace with her unfulfilled dreams, but a new one unexpectedly opens up.

She is asked to assist a new hire to write and produce a new radio drama. He is completely unqualified for the role, and rather than see it fail, Martha steps in and anonymously begins to write and produce the program. It’s a huge success and her inept boss is more than happy to take the credit, but Martha’s secret can’t remain hidden for too long.

The 50s may have been a simpler time, but The Radio Hour deftly shows that they weren’t for women in the workforce. They were frequently overlooked, underestimated, and sexually harassed or assaulted and nothing was done about it. In certain circumstances, they couldn’t work after getting married.

Martha is use to this being the case, but when she finally finds her voice and is no longer willing to be quiet or “polite,” it’s a glorious thing!

This is a delightful and entertaining tale, but it’s also a powerful one. Highly recommended.

I received a copy from Harper Muse and Austenprose PR via NetGalley, but a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Completely predictable but a fast paced, informative and entertaining story that will entertain you without assaulting your senses. THE RADIO HOUR takes place in Australia during the mid 1950’s, post WWII. Radio was still the primary form of entertainment there, even tho’ television had begun to take over in the USA and GB. This historical fiction novel takes a look at daily radio soap operas, their creation, impact on society and how women are treated in the radio and broadcast industry. Not a one for one comparison, some of the characters are real and some are based on real characters, lending a feeling of authenticity to the story. Details can be found in the author’s note at the back of the book.

Martha is a 50 year old secretary who’s considered a “spinster”, in this day and age. She’s spent 25 years toiling invisibly at the large radio station, learning every job and position as she supported less qualified men. Her newly assigned boss is a 25 year old, completely clueless alcoholic that spouts misogynistic rhetoric at every opportunity. He’s disgusting and very sad, at the same time. His assignment is to start a new 15 minute show that airs 5 days a week, 2 times a day. His timeline is 6 weeks but he only has time for boasting, lunch and booze. When week 6 begins with no scripts in sight, well, you can guess who takes over.

By far, the conversations between characters in the scripts for the new show were most interesting. They are inset directly into the regular text of the story and show the resolution of Martha’s conversations with “real life” characters. Most of the story is told by way of dialogue, very little text so the short chapters move swiftly. The titles of each chapter are a summary of the content like a play: IN WHICH MARTHA BERRY FINDS INSPIRATION IN HISTORY; IN WHICH MARTHA BERRY…etc. They are long and a bit cumbersome but do a good job of explaining the content.

There is growth in Martha during the course of the story. She learns to stand up for herself and is able to reach out and extend a hand to others. A few others step up to show themselves to be decent but others remain awful. You won’t be surprised but should be pleasantly satisfied.

If you enjoy historical fiction, women’s issues, light hearted, fast paced reads with humorous notes, you’ll enjoy THE RADIO HOUR that meets the standards and practices guidelines of the day- it’s perfectly clean📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks

This was a great book. It takes place in the 1950's before television. It is about dramas that are on the radio that everyone listens to. Martha Berry is a single woman who works as a secretary in the production studio. At that time in Australia if you were a married woman you would have to give up your employment. She has been with the studio for about 23 years or more. A new radio show was going into production called As the Sun Sets. Martha was to be the secretary to a young man who would write an produce the show. His name is Quentin Quinn and he ids 25 years old. Supposedly, a very good producer/writer. Before long Martha realizes that the young man knows nothing. It is getting down to production time and he has not hired a cast or written a word. He orders her around and calls her Mrs. Berry instead of Miss Berry. He takes long lunches and come back drunk. He smokes one cigarette after another. She is beside herself with worry and suggests some actors for the cast of characters and then when no dialogue has been written she writes the first week. Of course, Quinn takes credit (although I really think he thinks he is writing the series). It becomes a huge hit and then the fun begins. The story delves into how everything back in the 1950's was a man's world. The women were just treated and acted like servants. They were abused both verbally and sometime physically by some men. It is enlightening to have a woman become what she was truly meant to be. It was also very fun to read a story within a story. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to #netgalley, #firsteditions, #harpermuse and @victoriapurmanauthor for an ARC of this delightful read. All opinions are my own.

What a treat! Who knew that a novel about radio in post WWII Sydney could be a page turner? Well, it is, This is Martha's story, the story of a woman who worked hard to move to the top of the radio show business, even as society didn't want her to. This is nicely atmospheric and the plot zips along. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. An excellent and very entertaining read.

In post world war Australia the radio has kept families captive and tuned in certain hours each day. The threat of television finally landing on their continent has some worried that radio will quickly be replaced. Martha has been a secretary to many through the decades, so when she gets assigned a new wet behind the ears boss that is going to keep radio alive with a new radio show she knows her work load just doubled. Wondering how Quinn got this position for as young as he is, she quickly realizes that there will be no show with how much he enjoys his drink that supposedly is his inspiration. Coming up with a plan to save this not even out yet show and to keep those tuned to the radio, Martha does all she can to get Quinn's inspiration moving and soon they have a hit on their hands. Touchy topics and yet fans want more and love that they are not alone with these things. Quinn can't seem to take in enough credit and so the few who have figured out the truth behind this instant hit come up with a plan to keep this show as is, while taking out the one who could ruin it all. When Quinn jumps at the chance to make a hit show with television, he jumps at the chance and Martha must now come clean with every thing that has made this show what it is. I really enjoyed this novel and really had never thought about how the fear of television replacing radio was a worry during that time. It was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at how they did these radio shows and all of the sound effects. Thank you to the author, Harper Muse and Austenprose PR for the complementary novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This was as fabulous as Miss Martha Berry herself!

1950's Australia, fifty-year-old Martha Berry loves her job at ABC, working for producers of radio drama, department heads en more important men. But all she's ever dreamed of is writing her own radio drama. When rookie writer Quentin Quinn gets appointed a new show with Martha as his secretary, she jumps at the chance to help create a new show listeners around Australia will love. But when it turns out that Quinn has no real intention of creating said addictive show, Martha takes matters into her own hands.

This book was great! I love historical fiction when it centers around women who fight injustices in their lives or workplaces. Martha was a wonderful protagonist. Always friendly, always caring, but also not afraid to take the helm when she sees an opportunity. If it weren't for the regular mentions of her age and her starting menopause, I'd have forgotten she's actually an older woman.
Besides miss Berry, it's the lovely cast of side characters that really cemented the story for me. There's far too many for me to list, but for me, the Calendar Girls definitely rank up high. They're a lovely reminder that you can become the best of friends with someone despite being in totally different area's of life.

The writing style is absolutely lovely. The chapters all start with a minor teaser, as if you're listening to a radio drama yourself. It makes the reading experience wonderfully comfortable and relaxed, as you sort of know what to expect in the chapter, but get to be surprised by how something plays out.
There's also quite some mentions of social injustices in this book. Women who have to quit their work when they get married, because they now have homes and families to take care of, women not being 'good enough' or 'clever enough' to work on their own shows or projects and always having to resort to being a secretary. It definitely ground my gears a bit, but I loved that towards the end of the book, Martha and her lovely friend group all fought against the rules set out for women.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially if you've enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus! If you're not sure whether to give this book a go, I'd definitely say yes!

The Radio Hour is a post World War II historical and women's fiction story. Set in Australia, during the golden age of Radio. The story takes us behind the scenes of the broadcasting industry and focuses on what it's like for women working in broadcasting. Typically relegated to traditional roles as secretaries and "script girls," forced to "retire" if they get married, and subject to harassment by men.

The Radio Hour was one woman's story. Our female main character Martha Berry is 50, unmarried, and has been working for Australia's national broadcaster for her entire career. Martha moves around from department to department, overlooked and underappreciated. But things change when she starts working with Quentin Quinn, the young hot new producer who has been hired to make the next great radio hit show. Martha realizes early on that Quentin has very little talent and prefers to drink and take long lunches over working. Martha takes it upon herself to make this new show a hit, hiring actors, and writing scripts. And the show is an absolute hit, but of course, Martha gets none of the credit.....but with the advent of television, and Quentin Quinn is moving on, will Martha finally get her shot?

This story was such a different perspective from other women's fiction I've read. Even though it's set in the 1950s, it's still so relevant today. The story addressed aging women. From a workplace perspective , how to stay relevant (and maybe more importantly continue to feel relevant) as younger people are coming into the workforce and as times change. But, also from a health perspective. Menopause wasn't something talked about in the 1950s, especially on Radio. But, I feel like even today, this is not something that isn't really talked about very openly. So, just as the listeners to Martha Berry's Radio program felt seen, this book felt the same to me.

I'm not necessarily a fan of more character driven stories, but I was really invested in Martha Berry as a character and of her story. I was definitely rooting for her to get the recognition she deserved.

If you enjoy historical and women's fiction, this is a story for you.

This historical novel transports the reader back to a time when radio was the primary form of entertainment in almost every Australian household. It also brings home what it meant to be a woman in the 1950s facing a situation where getting married meant having to leave your job at the national broadcaster, and being unmarried was not only a rare thing, but also to many an indication of your failure as a woman.

On the cusp of her 50s, Martha Berry is all too aware of just how limited her choices are. When she is given the unexpected opportunity to work for a young male producer who is being given the plum opportunity of writing a new radio show, the last thing she expects is to find out just what an obnoxious drip Quentin Quinn actually is, and what will be expected of her to ensure that the show does indeed go on...

Other than perhaps a little too much quotidian detail regarding the lives of everyday Australians in that era, this is a really enjoyable novel. The reader feels for Martha, becomes angry at the obstacles she faces and cheers for her throughout.

My favourite part of the book was how well drawn the supporting characters are, particularly the senior actors on the show and the calendar girls, and how immediately they come alive on the page. This one gets 3.5 stars.

The Radio Hour is an engaging novel by Victoria Putnam about a woman named Martha Berry who works at a radio station as a secretary in Australia after the war. Only unmarried women are allowed to work, and Martha is turning fifty. She is reassigned as a script girl to a new male writer right out of school for a new radio show that is expected to be a hit. As the writer struggles to write a script and is drunk most of the day, Martha takes control to save the program and finds a new passion for writing. While she is ghostwriting the new hit show, she’s not terrified of discovery and draws strength from her newfound talents. Once her secret is threatened to be exposed, Martha has to decide if she wants to stay in the shadows or embrace her talent and claim her own successes.

I loved this book. It started a little slow, but i ended up drawn into the story and didn’t want to put it down. I loved all of the characters, especially Martha, the voice actors, and the calendar girls. I enjoyed reading her scripts along with the story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Radio Hour by Victoria Purrman is a great book about the golden era of Radio and although this one is set in Australia, when it was illegal for married women to work, we find Miss Martha Berry, who has been a secretary at the radio station since the beginning, she has been floated from department to department when she finally gets a chance to be the secretary for the head writer of a new program. Call When The Sunsets. her new boss is fresh out of college and has all the arrogance one would have when addressing an older person they see beneath them he can’t even get it right that her name is Miss Barry and not Mrs.. unfortunately Mr. Quinn has bitten off more than he can chew in his nerves get the best of him and while he is passed out from another drunk day at work, Martha gets busy riding the script. When the show becomes a hit, however it is Mr. Quinn taking the bow. Martha is in her 50s and her best friends at work or the one she calls the calendar girls April, May, and June three stereotypical young women of that day, but with Martha’s guidance, they may shake off the notion that one needs a man to be a full person because Martha is what some call a spinster and if they do, she is happy to be that. this book in which I listen to the audio and read the Kindle, but the audio is definitely better because you get the comedic timing with the great narration by. Jennifer Vuletic. tells a great story about how things were. I loved her mom and her mom‘s two friends. They were so funny. I also thought Martha’s dry sense of humor was hilarious. This is a great book and I absolutely loved it. I thought the ending was great. I especially love the part when Miss Carver comes to ask Miss Barry if she can work on her new staff… That was so satisfying. Such a great story. I’m sure if you read the Kindle instead of the audio it would still be a great read, but with the awesome narration, I would definitely go with the audiobook. #NetGalley,#VictoriaPurrman, #TheRadioHour,

This book did not work for me.
While I enjoyed the writing style and the dynamic between the female characters the same can not be said for the male characters. The dynamic between men and women in this time period caused me to constantly feel irritation that came in the way of me enjoying the book.
I love that the author but that dynamic so clearly in front of the reader and the tone of the story is light. I could just personally enjoy reading it.

Such a great book. Sadly all to relevant if not more so for today too.
I do so admire woman like Martha. They are brave for all of us woman. I recognised so many themes woman are currently battling with. So it's always such a great way to feel inspired with stories like these. Though they aren't without there hardships.

Martha is 50 years old and has worked her whole career being wrongly overlooked. She works for a broadcasting company and has had to carry or cover for many of her male bosses.
So when she is made to work for one such male who doesn't make the cut,at all she takes matter into her own hands. But to do so successfully she must keep what she is doing a secret.
Can she watch others take her work as their own. Especially when this worn is met with growing praise?
This was such a great book. It would be a great book to read and then discuss. I often wonder what males would think reading such books, and or compared to females. Especially in current times when we seem to be going backwards.
I loved all yhe characters described in this
Even the horrific ones! Because they were just written so well.

Enlightening and as relevant today as in the setting of the 1950’s, this novel accurately describes life for women in Australia post WWII. Martha Berry is a 50 year old woman who has been constantly overlooked at her place of work, the Australian broadcasting corporation. Working as a secretary and having to cover for many of the mistakes made by her male bosses, Martha gets assigned to a young, inexperienced producer who got drunk instead of writing scripts. Martha steps up but secretly, as women are looked at as secretaries and wives, never more. Well written, at times humorous, at times enraging, this story is a good read. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

****Publishing February 4, 2025****

Martha Berry, 50, chose career over marriage! She takes care of her mother! She started working in broadcasting on the radio before people had T.V.’s in Australia. Martha saw the transition of television becoming more popular. As a woman in radio broadcasting, can she pursue and accomplish her career goals in a man-dominating profession?

A fascinating book about the reality of women working in radio! I loved how the author had subtitles at the beginning of each chapter, letting you know what the chapter will be about! If you love historical fiction, then you would love this one! Perfect for book clubs as it would lead to many great discussions!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

** “Martha has been transported by storytelling ever since she could read, and the last word she would use to describe it would be silly. Stories were imperative. They had broadened her horizons and her outlook.” **

Victoria Purman offers an inspirational story with “The Radio Hour.”

It’s 1956 in Australia and Martha Berry has worked for public broadcasting radio for decades. She loves her mainly secretarial duties until she is paired up with the young Quentin Quinn, newly hired to create a new radio serial As the Sun Sets. The problem? He’s drastically under qualified, which worries Martha. She doesn’t want to lose her job because of his lack of qualifications and bad behaviors and habits.

So when she takes matters in her own hands, As the Sun Sets becomes quite popular, taking on topics not normally tackled, all while changing several lives along the way.

Will Martha finally be able to make her own path, one that makes her proud? And can she help others along her journey?

Purman creates an inspiring story based loosely on actual women and situations in Australian radio during the 1950s. Martha, who starts out a bit meek, finds her voice and her pluck. Several other characters are also delightful, both male and female. But she also creates some characters so extremely loathsome, readers will instantly hate them.

She also fills “The Radio Hour,” which is due out Feb. 4, with several great themes, like the power of words, books and stories (“Books and stories had opened her head and her heart and always would. ‘Books are as important to me as breathing’ ”); the danger sometimes of just being content with your lot in life; taking matters into your own hands; sexism and gender double standards; the danger of self-aggrandizement; and every cloud has a silver lining.

A huge theme, repeated throughout the story, is George Eliot’s quote “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” It reminds us we always have time to make our own story. It’s also dedicated to anyone who has struggled with unfairness and inequality, especially in the workplace.

There are a few mild curse words, and a few moments of crude references and inappropriate actions, if you find that triggering.

Four stars out of five.

Harper Muse provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

It’s 1956 in Sydney Australia and Martha is working as a secretary for one of the ABC radio company. She’s been working there for 24 years and has never had a pay raise. She has been shuffled from one office to another because she’s smart, efficient, and unmarried. You see, in Australia, it is illegal for married women to work in certain occupations after they get married. Martha is content working and taking care of her mother. She has few friends except for April, May, and June who are young women newly employed by the radio company.

Martha is once again transferred to assist Quintin Quinn as he writes and produces a new show, As The Sun Sets. Quinn is worthless & usually drunk. Rather than have the show be a flop, Martha arranges for cast interviews, schedules recording times, and secretly writes the script. It’s a huge success! Quinn gets all the glory — until the actors figure out what’s going on. You will applaud the actors who support Martha. You’ll cheer for Martha as she learn how to speak up for herself. You’ll say “About time,” when “Hands Handley” (Use your imagination as to how he got his name.) is kicked out of the control booth, and the eyes of male executives are opened. The Radio Hour, by Victoria Purman, is worth reading.

The Radio Hour is a charming, funny look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia, celebrating the extraordinary unseen women who wrote the radio plays that held a nation captive. I loved this glimpse into the era of radio serials, how much time and effort went into making each 15-minute long episode, and what the shows meant to women who listened while taking care of their homes or after a long day of work. For fans of well-crafted historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m declaring it now–this is one of my favorite books of 2025, and the year has barely started! It has all the wonderful feminist vibes of Lessons in Chemistry but set in Australia’s public radio scene of the 1950s. Martha is 50-something woman who has endured garbage treatment by management for the 20+ years she has worked at the broadcasting company. They assign her to different shows and producers, and she always does her job admirably but with no accolades. When she’s assigned to a young cocksure producer, who will be at the helm of a new series, she’s reached the breaking point.

Martha’s boss is always drunk and can’t complete a script. He also can’t manage to hire the actors needed for the radio show. With sleight of hand, and a lot of work from Martha’s part, the show slowly comes together. But her boss just can’t get his crap together to write a script because he’s always sauced (and underqualified.) That’s when Martha steps in and starts writing the show, telling her boss that he must not remember writing it because he was “under the weather.”

Things are going along swimmingly until Martha puts some content in the show that gets her boss in trouble–she dares to mention menopause! However, the public outpouring of support lends the higher-ups to allow the storyline to continue, but it must be called “the change of life.” Martha’s boss becomes wise to her machinations, yet allows her to continue to write the scripts so he can keep on drinking all day and hitting on the young secretaries at work.

How long can Martha conceal her ghostwriting, and if she’s found out, will she lose her job? You have to remember that back in those days in Australia at the national broadcasting networks, if you got married, you had to relinquish your job. The men could and would do all sorts of salacious things to the women. The misogynistic, sexist, harassment was just terrible, and women put up with it or they’d be out of a job. If Martha is found out to be the writer of the show, she’ll most likely lose her job because she overstepped the boundaries of what was normal.

How will this all shake out? You’ll just have to read the book for yourself to see!

The Radio Hour is set in 1956 Australia in - you guessed it - the world of radio. Martha Berry is a 50-year-old spinster who works as a secretary at ABC, the national radio broadcaster. She lives a very quiet life with her widowed mother, loves to read and listen to radio dramas, and is diligent and knowledgeable at work while receiving very little recognition. Purman clearly did her research about this time period, but the writing felt a bit too cutesy most of the time and the research could have been better integrated into the writing. At the start of this story, Martha is assigned to a new producer, an odious young man with no work ethic and an overinflated ego. When he doesn't make any progress on a new drama that he is supposed to be creating, Martha starts writing all of the scripts, allowing her boss to take the credit. The book does a good job highlighting all the infuriating ways women are marginalized and harassed and undermined, but overall it just felt a little too clichéd for me to ever lose myself in the story. I did appreciate that the author focused on the workplace and didn't try to shoehorn in some late-in-life romance for Martha. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for a digital review copy.