The Wasted Years

"Jane Breckener, from Sydney, receives her first teaching appointment in a small town on the NSW north coast. Here she falls in love with a struggling young dairy farmer, Mark McMIllan. She is devastated when he becomes infatuated with her best friend. But the affair does not last and suddenly, at a time when Jane is facing a major personal crisis, Mark asks her to marry him. She accepts his proposal, but the problems caused by her doubts and insecurity eventually become insurmountable. After many years, during which she gains independence, peace of mind and a sense of self worth, she finally learns the truth about her marriage. She is then faced with a decision harder than any other she has ever had to make. This epic story, with its authentic Australian background, traces Jane’s life from her childhood in Sydney in the 1950s to her retirement from teaching at the beginning of this century. It deals with some of the major social changes of this period, as well as exploring the major themes of marriage, separation and abiding love."