The Thorn Birds
novel by McCullough
Quick Summary
The Thorn Birds is a sweeping romance novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough, first published in 1977. The story centers on a thwarted love affair between a Catholic priest and a young woman in the Australian Outback. The novel was a massive success, earning McCullough a record advance and later adapted into a popular television miniseries in 1983. McCullough, who also had a background in neurophysiology, wrote The Thorn Birds to supplement her income while working in the United States.12
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