Romance · Historical
The Thorn Birds
Bestseller: about 33 million copies (estimate)Across several decades on a remote Australian sheep station, the Cleary family faces drought, hardship and loss. Daughter Meggie falls in love with a charismatic young priest whose ambition pulls him another way.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 1977
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 692
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want a lush, emotional family saga with a forbidden love at its centre.
Skip this if you dislike melodrama or books where the characters make each other miserable.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about The Thorn Birds
- What is The Thorn Birds about?
- Across several decades on a remote Australian sheep station, the Cleary family faces drought, hardship and loss. Daughter Meggie falls in love with a charismatic young priest whose ambition pulls him another way.
- Who should read The Thorn Birds?
- Read it if you want a lush, emotional family saga with a forbidden love at its centre. Skip it if you dislike melodrama or books where the characters make each other miserable.
- How long and how fast is The Thorn Birds?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 692 pages, first published in 1977.
- Does The Thorn Birds have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Sexual content, Death, Grief.
- Can I borrow The Thorn Birds for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Thorn Birds; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after The Thorn Birds?
- Readers who liked it often move on to Gone with the Wind, Outlander, Lonesome Dove.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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