In 1978 in Australia's Northern Territory, life is hard and people are isolated. Telephones are not yet a common fixture. But five women find a way to connect. Sybil, the matriarch of Fairvale Station, misses her eldest son and is looking for a distraction, while Kate, Sybil's daughter-in-law, is thousands of miles away from home and finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale. Sallyanne, mother of three, dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town where she lives with her difficult husband. Rita, Sybil's oldest friend, is living far away in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. And Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land, needs some purpose in her life. Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship: they all love to read, and she starts a book club. As these five women bond over their love of books, they form friendships that will last a lifetime.