Wow. I loved this book! I listened to parts and read parts on my kindle, which was a fun way to experience the book. I think my favorite was listening, because this book is all about Radio Programs after World War Two in Australia. As an American reader, I found the book fascinating and entertaining, especially because Australias laws seem to differ from that of the US.

The book also has a strong feminist narrative, asserting that women often do more work than men. It’s certainly thought provoking and makes you wonder that if women had been given more opportunities in the workplace at that time, how would history be written differently.

Content warning: A pattern of workplace sexual assault is described. The description was tasteful but it did not mince words of what the women felt.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy and listener copy of this book. A review was not required.

I do not know a lot about the history of radio, especially the history of radio in Australia, but I enjoyed reading about 50-year-old Martha Berry and her experiences working as a secretary for a man tasked with creating a new hit radio show.

I found myself drawn into the story and the characters, especially the female workers. However, I felt like the beginning was a bit too drawn out and repetitive. I was ready to move on and get to the main premise of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about women’s role in the broadcasting industry. The narrator was wonderful as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

This started out slowly as Purman set the scene and described how radio worked in the 50s, which made me wonder if I would enjoy this, but once the story got going, with Martha’s work coming into focus, the story was fascinating. I loved getting to know Martha and the Calendar Girls and the way they dealt with the stereotypes of women in a male-dominated field (as almost all were at the time). There was some humor but this was mostly a serious story with serious situations that can and do still happen today. Martha’s character development is so well done and I loved the ending of the story. Don’t skip the notes at the end; it was interesting learning which stories were true.

This book was a delight to read. I picked it up after a particularly heavy read, and is was just the heartwarming book I needed.  Even in this day and age, most working women can identify with being overlooked or unseen in favor of a male counterpart. In 1950s Australia, women were still forced to quit work if they marry. At 50 years old, Martha Berry is still unmarried and works at the Australian Broadcasting Corp to support her widowed mother. Television hasn't quite taken off in Australia yet, so radio shows are the lifeline of entertainment. Martha is assigned as secretary to a new hire, Quentin Quinn, who is supposed to write and produce the new serial drama, As the Sun Sets. But Quentin is young and clueless. He knows nothing about producing a radio show, whereas Martha has worked in every department at the ABC. So, while Quentin disappears for long boozy lunches, Martha takes matters in hand and secretly starts writing a script and hiring actors. Quentin coolly takes the credit assuming he's a script writing genius when he's passed out drunk. As Martha starts gearing the script to the things that matter most to women, it becomes harder for Quintin to be believed.
I really enjoyed Martha as an older protagonist. She juggles work and caring for her mother, as she reflects on the things that have passed her by, such as marriage and children. She's been content to be overlooked until she realizes that her career is the one area where she can take charge and flourish. Her love of reading translates well into script writing, and she finds not only is she good at storytelling, but listeners connect with the characters she creates. The novel's other characters enhance the novel, too. I especially like how Martha mentors the young secretaries she works with, "the calendar girls," April, May, and June. As heartwarming as the novel is, it does touch on aspects of sexual harassment in the workplace, albeit in a very tactful way. Its inspiring to see Martha recognize her worth, find her voice, and turn the workplace upside down.

One thing that I really love to do that helps me relax, is listen to Old Time Radio. Especially the Crimetime dramas like "Yours Truely, Johnny Dollar”, “A Man Called X”, “Nero Wolf” and “Sherlock Holmes”. Listening to the voice actors bringing the radio drama to life is wonderful.

Imagine my surprise to see that The Radio Hour is a book based upon one of my favourite pleasures.

I have been enjoying the story so much that I am going to be a little sad when it ends. The story centers around Martha, a woman who has been working at the radio station since it first begin, who doesn’t make waves and has accepted her life as a spinster.

She finds herself in a pickle when the new college hire, Quentin Quinn is hired to write a new 15min ABC drama series. She has to take matters into her hand and write the drama and give credit to her incompetent boss.

Martha has written a relateable drama, As the Sun Sets, that is loved by so many listeners. Martha showcases the limitations that had been put on women during the 1950s-60s. As the Sun Sets, touches on controversial issues like menopause, women working after wedlock, women in the workforce.

It is a great read and gives an eyeopening account of what it was like for women after the war and the harassment of men in the industry.

This is a 5 star read for those you love Australian stories and are looking for a unique story, then pick up a copy.

The audio for this book is amazing too. Well cast and narrated and worth a listen to on its own or pair it with the book.

#theradiohour #bookgram #ladysnuffy_reads #ladysnuffy #books #booknerd #endlessreading #NetGalley

I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this story. The Narrator, Jennifer Vuletic has a perfect voice for this 1950 story and truly brought the characters to life. Life was so different for women working in the 1950s than it is today and the story did a great job showing the roles of women in the workplace. I loved the character Martha and her relationship with the calendar girls. She is a wise and strong woman working in radio just before television takes over Australia. I enjoyed listening to As the Sun Sets clips just as listeners would have tuned into their radios to hear the episodes.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!

I adored this book. I really enjoyed learning more about the behind the scenes world of radio in 1950s Australia. Martha was such a likeable character and one who you cheered on throughout the story. I loved the supporting characters too like the Calendar Girls and Mrs. Tilly, as well as the radio stars. The villain bosses were villainous, but they got what they deserved in the end. This book reminded me a lot of the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and Jennifer Ryan's historical fiction-- and interesting backdrop and time in history with a cast of colorful, smart and headstrong women.

This book looks at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia. Martha Berry is fifty years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare or reward. A long-time employee of the country's national broadcaster, she's assigned to work as a secretary on a brand-new radio serial.

This is the second book in a row I've read, or listened to in this case, that takes place in the 1950s although they're totally different locales and storylines but still a reminder of how strict things were in that decade. In Australia women weren't allowed to work after they got married, especially if they worked for the public broadcasting service which is funded by the government. Apparently that restriction was in place until 1966. I enjoyed getting to know the various characters and really liked how each chapter was introduced with the phrase, "Chapter #, in which ...." followed by a synopsis of what would follow. I loved Martha; she reminded me of some of my older co-workers at the start of my working years. Hearing how listeners became so involved in the lives of the actors reminded me of my friend's mother and her neighbours only they were watching television soap operas. Lots of topics covered that still resonate today.

The narrator, Jennifer Vuletic, did a good job with the different voices - characters of different ages, male and female - but I found her rendition of the older ladies, Martha's mother's friends, to be a bit on the screechy side.

My thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks, via Netgalley, for approving my request to listen to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 4, 2025

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me Lessons in Chemistry vibes. Set in Sydney, Austrailia in 1956 at a the national broadcasting network. The main character is 50 year old, Martha Berry who has worked throughout the broadcasting company for several decades. Even though the book highlights how difficult it was for women to work in a safe enviroment during this era, its also the story of Martha's great success through her own hardwork and support of her group of friends! Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for allowing me to read this book!

I absolutely loved this book! Martha Berry our main character is a single woman of a certain age, (50) the age where a women in the 1950's begin to disappear and no one really notices them anymore. Martha is a secretary for radio broadcasting and has worked nearly half her life under the direction of men. This has suited her to a point, she has been told to smile politely and not complain even when she has been wronged or taken advantage of by her bosses. But Martha has received a new boss, Quentin Quinn a drunken ill equipped puppy who has no idea how to write, create and produce the new radio program he has been hired to produce: 'As The Sun Sets'. As weeks go by Martha becomes alarmed at how little writing Quentin is producing for the new program. Martha loves her job and the actors that have been hired to read the scripts. In order to save not only her job by theirs she secretly begins writing the scripts for the radio serial and passes them off as Quentins work. As the show becomes more and more popular and Quentins head swells alarmingly with the attention and celebrity he supposably has created, Martha starts to think what it would be like to take the credit she so justly deserves for creating such a popular and loved show. Martha must make a bold decision in order to be true to her new found self. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator Jennifer Vuletic was absolutely perfect for this story. Every character was a delight with her voice behind it. This book was one of my favorites so far this year. Very highly recommended. 5 solid stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for a chance to listen/read and ARC version of this wonderful book.

I absolutely loved this book until the last few chapters. It was like a cozy hug! Martha Berry is a wonderful character, and her adventures are engaging and feel true to the time. The snag for me came towards the end where it felt like things came together and tied up too neatly. I was rooting for a happy ending, don’t get me wrong, but it felt too pat. The audiobook narrator’s voice is excellent, I felt like it had just the right plummy old-timey tone to it.

Title: The Radio Hour
Author: Victoria Purman
Narrated by: Jennifer Vuletic
Publisher: Harper Muse
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 59 minutes
Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley. Physical book review copy from Harper Muse as part of the Austenprose Book Tour. Thank-you!

What is your favorite TV show? I have a lot of favorites, but one of them is Only Murders in the Building. I love a good mystery that also has humor.

Martha Berry has worked in broadcasting as a secretary for twenty-four years. It’s now 1956 in Australia and television is being talked about on the horizon. While she has vast experience, she has never been promoted or seen a pay raise. She has been reassigned to a new show that will be produced by new employee, Quentin Quinn. Quentin is fresh out of school and is more interested in very long lunches that involve alcohol rather than actually working on scripts and starting the new show. Martha takes it upon herself to save the show and starts to write the scripts herself. Will Martha’s secret remain hidden?

My thoughts on this book:

• I loved this story. Martha was a great character. I loved how she is an independent woman of a certain age who has decided to take her future into her own hands.

• I also enjoyed the radio show itself. It was fun reading the different scenes of the show.

• There are also many Jane Austen references throughout the novel that I enjoyed. Martha is a fan of Austen and her works and references them often. She also references other favorite authors such as George Eliot and Charlotte Bronte.

• I loved how Martha brought daring real life scenarios into the radio screen plays such as menopause and having an Italian immigrant family as one of the main families.

• The radio broadcast has an archaic rule that if you are married, you can no longer work there. This had changed in England, but not in 1950s Australia.

• It was interesting as the book discussed how television was taking over at the time in England and the United States, but it has not yet gotten to Australia. I had not thought about how this would have changed an entire radio industry and potentially put people out of work.

• I related so much to Martha. Early in my career I had my own Quentin Quinn at work. While he enjoyed pay raises and promotions, I was doing the majority of his work while had long lunches, late starts, and would leave early. I was told, well he’s a married man. Then after I was married, well, he has a baby. It didn’t seem quite right.

• The ending was great and a real pick me up when all news seems so negative these days.

• I enjoyed the author’s note about real history in which this fictional story was set.

• There are a lot of great book club questions. This would be a great book club read!

• I loved listening to the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was wonderful, and she especially did a great job with the voices in the radio broadcasts.

Favorite Quote:
“But Martha was done with being polite. She was done with being overlooked and underestimated by men like Quentin Quinn, those young enough to be her son yet who acted as if she was the child.”

Overall, The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman is an excellent, inspirational, and intriguing historical fiction novel. Martha Berry is one of the best new characters in fiction. This was my first read of author Victoria Purman, but it won’t be my last. If you enjoyed, Lessons in Chemistry, I think you will enjoy The Radio Hour.

I thought this was superb! Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook, narrated brilliantly by Jennifer Vuletic. I loved the whole concept, the characters and the sheer solidarity of the women. The story is lots of fun and also very representative of the zeitgeist. This is the first book I've read by Victoria Purman and I am really looking forward to sampling more of her work in future.

Good book! 3 stars. Martha reminds me of someone I know. I feel like we all have a Martha! I love that she is always fighting for all the women in her life. Times then were much different for women but she didn’t care. Great story!

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.

Set in Sydney, Australia during the 1950s, the book follows Martha Berry, a 50-year-old woman who has spent her working years as a secretary at the ABC. These were the years when women could only work so long as they remained single, when men held the professional roles and women were there to support them. Martha has never married and still lives with her mother, Violet for whom she cares. Martha is capable, creative, and relatively satisfied with her lot in life until she is assigned to a new scriptwriter whose only talent is drinking. He can't even be bothered to get her name right. The story progresses as Martha finds herself more and more responsible for making sure their new radio serial, As the Sun Sets actually gets written and produced. A tremendously entertaining novel ensues. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced audio of THE RADIO HOUR by Victoria Purman. This novel tells the story of a middle-aged spinster, Martha Berry, and her job in radio in 1956 Australia. She is working as a secretary and ends up being the unacknowledged write of a popular new program. Because of her age and life experiences, she writes some controversial episodes that the assumed writer has no recollection of writing and is offended by the topic, but it turns out that a majority of listeners loved it and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen (I could hardly wait either). The characters in this novel were so likable (except for the producer) and down to earth, worrying about their job security and trouble with bosses, Even though it dealt with taboo topics from 70 years ago it was still relevant, though not as taboo in today's culture. The narrator was excellent.

A most timely book that accurately reflects a time when woman were expected to put up and shut up. Well written with a protagonist that most of us can identify with- this book is a hidden gem.

The Radio Hour really grew on me as the story progressed. What initially felt like a bit of a soap opera, became a very inspiring and empowering story.

What a joy to see Martha absolutely flourish, not just in her professional working capacity, but in all aspects of her life. The message in this book is clear (and reinforced by the author herself in her notes at the end of the book); ‘it is never too late to be who you were meant to be’.

Whilst this is a book that I’m sure many will enjoy, I think women in their mid-life years and beyond will certainly appreciate the wit and humour throughout both the plot and the dialogue. The historical elements weaved into the story were very informative and added a great deal of context; from life in the post-war years of Australia to the employment laws affecting women in the workplace.

The audio narration from Jennifer Vuletic is excellent - very clear and perfectly paced. She eloquently brings to life the wonderful array of characters regardless of gender or age.

I received a complimentary audio copy of this book from the publisher, HarperCollins Focus. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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,#HarperCollinsFocus,