My Brilliant Career

Miles Franklin wrote My Brilliant Career a novel in 1901. She (Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin 1879-1954) was one of the foremost Australian authors of her period publishing a number of novels after this one as her debut. When she was still a teenager she wrote this novel as a romantic comedy for her friends' amusement. Franklin gave Henry Lawson the book who added a preface and sent it to his own publishers in Edinburgh. Franklin experienced a great deal of distress as a result of the book's popularity in Australia and the perception that many of the characters resembled her own family and her life as a small farmer in New South Wales close to Goulburn. Franklin decided to delay the book's release until after her passing. In My Brilliant Career novel Sybylla an independent young girl growing up in early 20th-century Australia tells her story. In order to keep her independence Sybylla declines the chance to marry a wealthy young guy. She is forced to accept a position as a governess for a local family since her father owes them money. This well-known Australian author's first romance book is titled My Brilliant Career. Through this interesting novel Sybylla has become the epitome of an Aussie battler!