Thorn Birds

Colleen McCullough's wildly popular epic blockbuster, first published in 1977, follows the fortunes of the Cleary family over three generations, but concentrates mainly on Meggie and her passionate, obsessive love for a Catholic priest, Father Ralph. The complex, passionate plot, along with McCullough's vivid descriptions of the Australian outback, made the book a best-seller--and the movie made from it in 1983 a huge success.