The Jam Maker: The must-read new Tasmanian historical fiction for 2025 based on a true story, perfect for readers of Fiona McIntosh and Victoria Purman.

Tasmania, 1874. Harriet Brown grows up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet and learns to do whatever it takes to survive. At twelve years old, she cuts off her hair and poses as a boy to work as a label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory. Four years later, the deception becomes unbearable. Harriet risks everything for a chance at a future with Henry Jones, her ambitious friend and workmate. But this decision forces her into a new deception: she must pose as an expert jam maker or face being cast onto the streets. As secrets and lies accumulate, Harriet makes increasingly desperate choices. These choices lead to a dangerous secret that, if revealed, could destroy her life and the lives of those she loves and protects. The novel weaves together the history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the historical figure Henry Jones, telling a story of danger, deceit, and the measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life.