Kate and Harriet are best friends, growing up together on an isolated Australian cape in the 1880s. As daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives their small community. When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. But one moment in McPhail's hut will change the course of their lives forever. Inspired by a true story, Skylarking is a stunning debut novel about friendship, love and loss, one that questions what it is to remember and how tempting it can be to forget.

Kate and Harriet are best friends who are growing up together on an isolated Australian cape in the 1880s. As daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community. When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. Ultimately, a moment of skylarking in McPhail's hut changes everything…

Kate Mildenhall is a writer and education project officer, who currently works at the State Library Victoria and is studying part-time at RMIT University in the Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing. As a teacher, she has worked in schools, at RMIT University and has volunteered with Teachers Across Borders, delivering professional development to Khmer teachers in Cambodia. Skylarking is her debut novel. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in Hurstbridge, Victoria

Longlisted for the Voss Literary Prize 2017 'Skylarking is a beautifully-written love letter to female friendship, full of the passion, envy and confusion of growing up and growing apart'Kate Riordan Kate and Harriet are best friends growing up together on an isolated Australian cape. As the daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community. When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. An innocent moment in McPhail's hut then occurs that threatens to tear their peaceful community apart. Inspired by a true story, Skylarkingis a spellbinding tale of friendship and desire, memory and truth, which questions what it is to remember and how tempting it can be to forget. 'It's testament to Kate Mildenhall's skill that you become so immersedin the lives of best friends Kate and Harriet you feel the dread, but hope it will not be so ... fans of Emily Bitto's The Straysand Favel Parrett's Past the Shallowswill find much to admire here.' Herald Sun '[Mildenhall's] research of life on a remote cape in a young colony manifests in lovingly drawn descriptionsof the natural landscape... the novel's strength lies with following Kate's and Harriet's stumbles and skylarking from childhood to womanhood; and their close, sometimes stifling, friendship.' Thuy On, Sydney Morning Herald 'It is hard to believe that Skylarkingis Kate Mildenhall's debut novel, as her ability to create both character and atmosphereis impressive.'Annie Condon, Readings Monthly 'It's no surprise to learn that debut author Kate Mildenhall counts Geraldine Brooks and Hannah Kent among her favourite writers. Inspired by a true story, Skylarking recreates a particular time and place as evocatively as they do...this is a beautifully writtenbook, with lyrical descriptions of the desolate yet beautiful landscape.' AFR Magazine  'Mildenhall is at her best when she is exploring the complex relationship between these two young women as their burgeoning sexuality begins to cause problems within their tiny community.' Books + Publishing 'Kate Mildenhall'simpressive debut novelis filled with the light and air of its rugged coastal setting ... the perfect backdrop for Mildenhall's powerful evocation of a passionate, intenserelationship between two young women ... Mildenhall takes this historical case and re-imagines it with such sensitivity and insight that we feel this must be how it truly happened.' Emily Bitto, author of The Strays 'The storm-lashed coastline of the Great Southern Land is the setting for this poetic, slow-moving tale of the friendship ... an evocativeyarn.' Australian Women's Weekly 'Skylarking is astrikingly realand deeply movingmeditation on adolescent friendship in all its complexities, faithfully rendering both teenage envy and the depths of love between two girls. The bush comes alive; one can almost hear the sound of the crickets on a hot evening. But above all, it is a heart-wrenchingwork.' Olga Lorenzo, author of Salt Creek  'Author Kate Mildenhall evocatively brings to the mind's eye the lives of two young girls in Victorian-era Australia.' Better Reading 'Skylarking is a brave, beautiful and richly texturedbook which delicately explores the fault lines in love and friendship, revealing their thrill and loveliness as well as their darker sides: jealousy and heartbreaking regret' Lucy Treloar, author of The Light on the Water

Kate and Harriet are best friends, growing up together on an isolated Australian cape in the 1880s. As daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community. When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. But one moment in McPhail's hut will change the course of their lives forever. Inspired by a true story, Skylarking is a stunning debut novel about friendship, love and loss, one that questions what it is to remember and how tempting itcan be to forget. 'Kate Mildenhall's impressive debut novel takes an historical case and re-imagines it with such sensitivity and insight that we feel this must be how it truly happened.' —Emily Bitto 'Skylarking is a strikingly real and deeply moving meditation on adolescent friendship in all its complexities—a heart-wrenching work.' —Olga Lorenzo 'A brave, beautiful and richly textured book that delicately explores the fault lines in love and friendship.' —Lucy Treloar 'Mildenhall is at her best when she is exploring the complex relationship between these two young women as their burgeoning sexuality begins to cause problems within their tiny community.' —Books+Publishing Kate Mildenhall is a writer and education project officer who currently works at the State Library of Victoria. As a teacher, she has worked in schools and at RMIT University, and she has volunteered with Teachers Across Borders, delivering professional development to Khmer teachers in Cambodia. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in Hurstbridge, Victoria.

Kate and Harriet are best friends, growing up together on an isolated Australian cape in the 1880s. As daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community. When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. But one moment in McPhail's hut will change the course of their lives forever. Inspired by a true story, Skylarking is a stunning debut novel about friendship, love and loss, one that questions what it is to remember and how tempting it can be to forget. Longlisted for the 2017 Indie Book Awards and the 2017 Voss Literary Prize '[Mildenhall's] research of life on a remote cape in a young colony manifests in lovingly drawn descriptions of the natural landscape ... the novel's strength lies with following Kate's and Harriet's stumbles and skylarking from childhood to womanhood; and their close, sometimes stifling, friendship.' --Thuy On, Sydney Morning Herald 'It's no surprise to learn that debut author Kate Mildenhall counts Geraldine Brooks and Hannah Kent among her favourite writers. Inspired by a true story, Skylarking recreates a particular time and place as evocatively as they do...this is a beautifully written book, with lyrical descriptions of the desolate yet beautiful landscape.' --AFR Magazine 'It's testament to Kate Mildenhall's skill that you become so immersed in the lives of best friends Kate and Harriet you feel the dread, but hope it will not be so ... fans of Emily Bitto's The Strays and Favel Parrett's Past the Shallows will find much to admire here.' --Herald Sun 'Mildenhall is at her best when she is exploring the complex relationship between these two young women as their burgeoning sexuality begins to cause problems within their tiny community.' --Books+Publishing 'Kate Mildenhall's impressive debut novel takes an historical case and re-imagines it with such sensitivity and insight that we feel this must be how it truly happened.' --Emily Bitto 'It is hard to believe that Skylarking is Kate Mildenhall's debut novel, as her ability to create both character and atmosphere is impressive.' --Annie Condon, Readings Monthly 'The storm-lashed coastline of the Great Southern Land is the setting for this poetic, slow-moving tale of the friendship ... an evocative yarn.' --Australian Women's Weekly 'Skylarking is a strikingly real and deeply moving meditation on adolescent friendship in all its complexities--a heart-wrenching work.' --Olga Lorenzo 'A brave, beautiful and richly textured book that delicately explores the fault lines in love and friendship.' --Lucy Treloar 'Author Kate Mildenhall evocatively brings to the mind's eye the lives of two young girls in Victorian-era Australia.' --Better Reading 'Sensory and visceral' --Joy Lawn, The Australian