HAMILTON’S Louise Le Nay has penned her second novel, ‘Edenhope’.

Ms Le Nay started writing the book in 2022 and for the last six months has been using the Hamilton Library six days per week to edit.

She penned the story using her local knowledge to weave the storyline out of Melbourne and ending up in the small Wimmera town.

Edenhope is a fictional story about a grandmother, Marnie who rescued her two grandchildren from her heroin-addicted daughter.

“It’s a story about family, love, dealing with addiction, and loving the person that’s addicted,” Ms Le Nay said.

“It’s a sad story but one that’s full of hope.”

Ms Le Nay was thrilled to have her book published by a renowned publisher.

“Text Publisher is Australia’s best small publisher,” she said.

“They’ve got a great staple of writers.

“I’m so flattered to have my book snapped up.”

A National Institute of Dramatic Arts graduate, Ms Le Nay has an extensive background in the arts including in writing, editing, television, theatre and film acting including a stint as Sandy Edwards in 1980s Australian classic soap, Prisoner.

She was a script writer for Neighbours and Blue Heelers and has taught professional screenwriting and editing at RMIT and was the short story judge for the Fellowship of Australian Writers annual national competition for 15 years.

Text Publisher publicist, Maddy Corbel said Ms Le Nay has a huge passion for the spirit and small-town kindnesses of her community.

She said the book was “incredibly moving and quietly heroic”.

“It’s centred on a grandmother in country Victoria who decides to take the law into her own hands to save her grandchildren,” she said.

Before moving to Hamilton, Ms Le Nay lived on a property at Vasey with her husband growing vegetables and raising lambs and loving the bush and wildlife.

They downsized to Hamilton in 2020.

She said living in the country has changed her life, her attitudes and her outlook.

“Writing about the country feels like a natural progression,” Ms Le Nay said.

She published her first book in 1996 called  The Hero, and will launch her latest book in the Hamilton Library on Thursday June 6, from 12.30-1.30pm with lunch provided.

The event is free but the library would like to know numbers so bookings would be preferable.