Burnt Land

Summary: In the Outback gold-mining camps of Kalgoorlie, Australia, life is as gritty and harsh as the orange sand blasted from the pitted, scorched earth. For men, it can be lonely, but for women, in a land where little is protected, danger lurks in every leering glance.And Sanna is terrified. A graduate student researching gender equality in the mines while attempting to hide her pregnancy, she left her abusive boyfriend and her unstable family far behind in Finland, hoping to find inner peace in a new environment--only to find crude, scary men and tragic stories.Amid the parched, hostile surroundings, Sanna impossibly starts to feel love when she meets middle-aged miner Martti--another Finn, another restless soul with emotional scars. As their relationship deepens and her pregnancy progresses, Sanna's unfulfilled desire for healing draws her to a charismatic spiritual guide who promises enlightenment. When Sanna follows her guide on an extended walkabout into the barren yet magical Australian desert, she discovers new connections with nature and herself. But will her quest lead her to happiness and peace, or could this trek be far more dangerous than she ever imagined?