Verses for Fleur

Verses for Fleur is a contemporary verse novel set in the southern Barossa Valley, South Australia, weaving together themes of grief, healing, belonging, and the deep connection between people and land. The story follows Fleur Laurent, a French food and wine writer, who returns to the valley after years away, carrying the weight of personal loss and the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is drawn back to Marltarra, a vineyard and sanctuary tended by Claire, a scientist and woman of the soil, whose life is rooted in the rhythms of country and community.

As Fleur reconnects with Claire, their shared history and unresolved feelings resurface, set against the backdrop of the valley's changing seasons. The narrative unfolds in a series of lyrical, free-verse chapters, each capturing moments of daily life; working the vines, sharing meals, tending to Cloud the therapy dog, and visiting the local aged care home. Through these acts of care, Fleur begin to mend.

The verse novel respectfully acknowledging the Kaurna people and the significance of Country. The landscape is rendered as a living presence, with native plants, animals, and the cycles of nature shaping the characters' journeys. The story explores how healing is not linear but cyclical, rooted in acts of tending, listening, and community.