The Well tells the story of two women, Hester and her young ward Katherine, and their relationship with one another. Hester, who has lived alone on a farm with her father for many years, is possessive of the much younger Katherine. The relationship between the two women becomes strained after an incident where Katherine hits a mysterious creature with the roo bar on their four wheel drive. It is left unclear whether the creature is an animal or an intruder who has stolen a large sum of money from the house. When Katherine begins to hear voices from the well and becomes racked with guilt, Hester goes to extreme measures to maintain her influence over her young ward.

The Well was given the Miles Franklin Award in 1986.

The Well was also adapted into a film in 1997. The film was directed by Samantha Lang, from a screenplay by Laura Jones and featured Pamela Rabe and Miranda Otto.

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well_(novel)).