First Chapters

In the European summer of 2003 a deadly heat wave strikes France. To Mary Moody, living in her rural village in the south-west of France, it seems that the weather is merely imitating the stifling heat of her own relationships. Her marriage, already under strain from the freedoms of her new life in France and the revelation of an affair, now reaches breaking point.

At the heart of The Long Hot Summer lie Mary's two conflicting passions: for her newfound independence; and for the love of her husband and family in Australia. Confrontation and heartache are inevitable, yet both sides of her life are still capable of producing enormous joy and excitement. Can new needs exist alongside old loves'

Mary Moody's two previous books, Au Revoir and Last Tango in Toulouse have become bestsellers and made her one of the best-known and best-loved writers in Australia. With all the warmth and candour we've come to expect, The Long Hot Summer explores the minefield of relationships and changing desires, set against the beautiful backdrop of rural France.