"The Thorn Birds" is the towering saga of three generations of a remarkable family in the rugged Australian Outback. The triumphs and tragedies, the dramas and disappointments, the passions and the pain of the Cleary family and those who came into their lives became an instant bestseller when it was first published in 1977. The basis of one of the most acclaimed television miniseries of all time, the novel remains an internationally beloved favorite.