We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Cygnet River by Sharron Martin to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
A gripping novel of love, resilience, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life by New Zealand author Sharron Martin.
Branded.
Ireland 1975, at the height of the Troubles, young wife and mother Kitty Donovan has it all —until the night her doctor husband vanishes with his receptionist, leaving a typed note, empty bank accounts, and a scandal that rocks her rural town.
Branded a deserted wife and left penniless, Kitty struggles to rebuild her life within the confines of Catholic convention. As she navigates the challenges of her situation, the embers of an old flame reignite, drawing condemnation from the Church and the attention of the parish priest.
Threatened.
When an accident lands her daughter in hospital, her husband returns, determined to take custody of the children she has worked so hard to protect. In desperation, Kitty uncovers secret alliances, moral hypocrisy, and dangerous connections that could threaten them all.
Forced to Choose.
She is forced to confront the dark undercurrents of her town and make an impossible choice between custody of her children and a future with the man she loves.
Scandal, betrayal, and forbidden desire collide in Cygnet River in this mesmerising novel.
‘This is an appealing story that will hook in readers and keep them turning the page. We follow Kitty taking control of her life as she faces various trials that highlight the paucity of rights that women had in 1970s Ireland. The novel explores how much women are defined by others and how much it therefore takes to establish oneself on one’s own terms.’ – Harriet Allan
Author Note
‘Growing up in the Republic of Ireland in the seventies, I was well aware of the general power imbalance between men and women. My own mother was particularly vocal about inequality, and while she insisted on having access to the family finances and car, she was in the minority for the time. I learned about Deserted Wives from her outrage at the treatment of these women. The Deserted Wives entitlement started in 1970. From then on, women whose husbands had left them were branded with this unfortunate title, which carried a heavy social stigma, and many were virtually ostracised by their communities. Forced to make embarrassingly public weekly trips to their local post office to collect their Deserted Wives Allowance, it was often their only source of income and never enough to support themselves and their families. There was no way out either, because in the eyes of the Catholic Church, they were still married, and there was no divorce in Ireland until 1997. The ugly limbo of this situation struck me as horribly unjust, and I knew one day I would write about it. While Kitty’s story is fictional, there were many women for whom this was a reality. I wrote this book for them.’
About the Author
Irish-born New Zealander Sharron Martin lives in Auckland with her husband, three young adult children, and a menagerie of animals on the North Shore. Always a book lover, she grew up on a diet rich in Irish literature and devoured every book she could get her hands on. Sharron earned both a degree and a master’s degree in communications, majoring in information systems, from Massey University, and has spent most of her working life in the IT industry.
A keen writer, Sharron has been a member of the North Shore Writers Group for more than five years and has contributed short stories to three published anthologies.
In 2025, Sharron graduated successfully from the thirty-week course at The Creative Hub, where she was mentored by Harriet Allan, formerly of Penguin Random House. Sharron published her first novel, Discovering Orla, in 2023, and Cygnet River is her second.
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Terms and conditions
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You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
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The competition closes on 29th April 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 30th April 2026.
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It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
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Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
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GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
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By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
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One entry per household.
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The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
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You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
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You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
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