This is a poignant snapshot of history with delightful characters. Read my review below...
The Radio Hour
By Victoria Purman
Historical Fiction
Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 368 Pages
February 4, 2025 by Harper Muse
Summary
A charming and funny look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia that celebrates the extraordinary but unseen women who captivated a nation with their authentic stories of ordinary lives.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.
Working at the country's national broadcaster, she's seen highly praised talent come and go over the years. But when she is sent to work as the secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia's longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word pregnant, and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show.
When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts for As the Sun Sets, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial's growing and loyal audience of women listeners.
But she can't keep her secret forever and when she's threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows or finally step into the spotlight.
(Affiliate links included.)

My Review
THE RADIO HOUR portrays a point in history where families still gather around the radio each evening prior to televisions becoming a staple in every home. It shows the culture at the time and the discrepancies between women and men in the workforce and at home.
It's one of those surprisingly delightful books that will resonate with women's fiction readers, even through the difficult parts. Full of humor, endearing characters and a strong emotional arc.
This is the first book I've read set historically around a radio series and I found it entertaining, endearing with some moments that made me angry. Martha, the main character, is easy to relate to, steady and consistent, and fun to cheer for as an underdog. She's supported by a group of fellow women workers, her mother and neighbors, and the radio actors and actresses she writes for with all their unique personalities and roles. The situation portrays the roles women and men were expected to fill culturally at the time as well as a country recovering after WWII. The humor and rather ironic happenings made me laugh in multiple places and provided a good balance to the frustrations and harassment of working women. I also appreciated the friendships that were formed and the relationship between Martha and her mother. The author did a great job in creating an emotional arc, building both the fight the women will undertake as well as the uncertainty of what will happen with the show, particularly what Martha will do.
There wasn't much that I didn't like about this story. The harassment and assault parts were definitely not enjoyable. It's a bit of a balancing act to present situations like this to prompt some thinking and discussion without it being too descriptive. I would have preferred less specifics. However it's all realistically portrayed.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I loved Martha and her character development as well as the plot. It was easy to invest in and turn the pages. I've somehow missed reading this author's previous books but am definitely planning on rectifying that. Highly recommended to women fiction readers!
Content: Some suggestive content, sexual harassment/assault, and mild swearing.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA TODAY bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book,
A Woman's Work, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels
The Nurses' War,
The Women's Pages,
The Land Girls, and
The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel
The Three Miss Allens was a USA TODAY bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter, and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript. Connect with her online at
victoriapurman.com.
Have you read any other stories set in Australia or about radio shows?