She is known for her bestselling debut novel, The Dressmaker, which was adapted into a film starring Kate Winslet in the lead role.
[2] Talking about her childhood Ham said, "Being a farmer's daughter, I had a fabulous childhood – swimming in creeks and irrigation channels, riding a horse behind a slow moving flock of ewes, rousabouting, cutting wood and setting the fire after school every day in winter, learning to drive aged nine so I could help with Bathurst burr cutting and other slow-moving country driving tasks.
[5] After completing her secondary education, Ham travelled overseas[6] and on her return took admission in Deakin University (then Victoria College).
[11] The novel drew strong comparison to Jane Austen's works, with The Sydney Morning Herald's review saying: "Ham tries hard to interject some social commentary into the story by including all these elements into her novel but Summer at Mount Hope is more unabashed romance set against a backdrop of grapes, dust and drought than a historical document.
[13] The Sydney Morning Herald said that, "Ham's skill in disguising her informed eloquence on a serious subject behind sparkling, entertaining prose.
[citation needed] Ham has written short stories for various Australian publications, including Meanjin, The Age, and The Bulletin.
[16] In all her novels, revenge, gossip, love, betrayal, small communities, isolation, treachery, manipulation and human nature are the common themes.
Maslin optioned the rights of the novel in 2009[18] and brought Jocelyn Moorhouse on board to direct and write the screenplay.
[19] Kate Winslet and Judy Davis were cast in the roles of Myrtle "Tilly" and Molly Dunnage respectively in August 2013.