I have always had a great deal of respect for Mary-Lou Stephen’s writing and research abilities. She has a gift for capturing the essence of her birth home Tasmania and presenting the history of the area and its businesses in a way that delights and informs. It is an immersive experience. I truly feel as though I have taken a journey to the past and the current world around me fades into the mists of time. It so easy to get lost in the dramas of the characters and the stunning landscape of this beautiful region.

This story is centred on the history of the Jam industry of Tasmania and it is both a fascinating and provocative journey. The descriptions of the special jams of unique combinations made by our main female character, Harriet, made my mouth water!

The Jam Maker spans a period of years but begins in 1874 with impoverished Harriet Brown growing up along the Hobart Rivulet. Times are very tough for her family and she is forced to disguise herself as a boy to work at a jam factory owned by George Peacock and Sons. Girls are not allowed to be employed at this business. But with the prompting of her mother, she is pushed into becoming a label paster to help support the family. Here she meets a boy, Henry, who becomes a life-long friend and whose drive takes him on a journey that is almost unbelievable, yet is true. But his thirst for position and need to succeed, though admirable, will eventually take its toll on his life in other areas. Yet in the meantime, he achieves everything he sets out to do and even more than anyone could hope for. He becomes a force of such vision and expansion that not only makes him financially successful but his prosperity helps many in his path such as Harriet, his childhood friend. Mary-Lou handles it all with great skill and respect, creating a mesmerising journey. I truly could not put this book down!

Henry Jones is a real historical figure whose products still linger and many of us know of his IXL Jam (interesting story behind the name). I never knew the background of this business and man who started it but now feel highly enlightened after reading The Jam Maker. As amazing as his development was from poor 12 year old working boy in a jam factory to a famous millionaire with impressive titles, there is another character whose bravery, resilience, talent and determination shines across these pages.

And that is Harriet Brown. She is another tour de force but, being a woman, had many obstacles to overcome since life was not her own to govern initially. She was forced to work as a boy and then forced to marry a much older man chosen by her parents. But oddly, this brought about some surprises and even positive outcomes. She had a chance to learn, develop and co-create a jam business that flourished initially with her husband. And had some happy productive years until something happens that drastically changes her life. Which leads back to more lies in order to survive. This part of the story is quite a tense adventure which I will not spoil by giving anything away. But hang on to your hats and heart as this woman’s journey is one you will never forget!

The Jam Maker is supported by some fascinating characters that add a varied texture to the tapestry along with multi layers of activities and emotional moments. Wonderful friendships develop amid the trials. It explores the hardships of the jam companies but also the women’s struggles for work and marriage equality, home ownership and education. Poverty was very real and the attempt to escape was difficult. Then there are environmental issues with sewerage that becomes quite a health hazard. The rivulet is polluted and becomes a symbol of all that is bad—even reflecting and absorbing the lives of some of the villains. But beyond all that, it is a powerful story soaked in secrets, yet there are quiet victories, second chances and triumphs along-side the tragedies.

Beautifully written, astoundingly researched, this novel grips the heart and empowers the soul to overcome ills and bad circumstances. And as an extra bonus, Mary-Lou weaves aspects of her previous books with the apple orchards and chocolate making into the mix, making it a well-rounded dish of literary delight. Loved it and cannot rave enough. An absolute must-read for 2025! 5 Stars + ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+

Thanks to HQ Fiction and Netgalley for the ARC.

1874: Harriet Brown grows up in Wapping, in the rundown tenements near the Hobart Rivulet, it’s prone to flooding and a smelly and disease ridden place. Harriet is twelve years old when her mum cuts off her hair, dressed as a boy and she beings working as a label paster at George Peacock and Sons jam factory.

Here she toils alongside Henry Jones, both are children of convicts, poor, uneducated and she feels guilty about deceiving her new friend. As time goes on it get harder for her to maintain the charade and not tell Henry the truth and she worries about losing her job.

Harriet can’t stay at George Peacock and Sons forever, Hobart is full of jam makers, some on a large scale and others run smaller operations and she becomes involved in one of these. Harriet’s a resilient survivor in a man’s world, going from pasting labels to learning the art of making specialty jams, and aided by three women Ruth, Alice and Nelly who are her friends, supporters and confidants. Harriet has dangerous secret and if it’s discovered it would destroy her life and those she loves and protects and rely on her for a job and a place to live.

Tasmania was one of the main fruit and berry producers before and after Australia’s Federation, between the Boer and First World War’s. The narrative features the history of jam manufacturing industries, competition and rivalry between companies, good and bad times, changes and developments and how some expanded and others failed.

Over five decades Harriet weathers the changes and the seasons of jam making and her life’s ups and downs and the highs and lows and daily grind and triumphs.

I received a copy of The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens from NetGalley and Harlequin Australian in exchange for an unbiased review. Ms. Stephens uses old buildings and some are still standing today and prominent figures like Harriet’s ambitious and driven friend Henry Jones and to weave an eloquently written and fascinating historical tale. You can tell hours of research went into creating the page turning novel and it show cases both Tasmania and her talent as a writer and she cleverly links parts to of her previous novels into her latest book.

A story set in the late 1880's and early 1900's about the plight of girls and women and the employment opportunities they had, lack of education and how hard it was to escape poverty and the sewerage ridden slums, and other aspects at the time that made being a women in Tasmania difficult and the many hurdles and obstacles they had to overcome, a must read and five stars from me and I highly recommend.

Another beautifully written and immersive read from Mary- Lou Stephens. The Jam Maker covers half a century and combines the fictional story of Harriet with the founders of IXL Jam, Henry and Alice Jones. It was interesting to learn about the history of IXL- from feuding brothers, a boy who pasted labels on jars taking over to how the name came about . Both Henry and Alice were interesting characters I admired Henry for his work ethic and Alice for her business savvy.

However, the real star of the novel was Harriet, she was such a resourceful and hard working woman who went through so much heartbreak. At the age of twelve she was made to dress as a boy to attend work and then married off at sixteen. Whilst her love life may have been a disaster I loved her passion for jam making, the interesting flavours jams her company produced and how she put together her own found family.

Mary- Lou’s writing style transports you other worlds. She made the wharves of Hobart and orchards of the Huon Valley come alive. Her books are so thoroughly researched you always get such a good feel for the time periods she writes in. Whilst the main story featured the Tasmanian Jam industry the fifty year time period also covered a lot of history including the introduction to machinery and refrigeration, the failure of the Bank of Van Diemen’s Land, mines closing, recessions, the Boer War, World War I, Queen Victoria’s death and Federation. Whilst it packs a lot in, the storylines are so engaging and I loved how towards the end it brought all three of her books together. It’s always an absolute pleasure getting lost in one of Mary- Lou’s books.