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There were a few aspects of the way this was written, terminology used by the characters that seemed odd for the time and the switching between perspectives, that sometimes distracted me from the experience of the story. However, the story itself of a woman raising her children on her own in the Australian bush and meeting an aboriginal man on the run was powerful. I was completely caught up in their stories and how those stories came together.

I loved this singular novel about an Indigenous Australian woman who is forced into marriage with a future prime minister. Wright is virtuosic with language, mixing Aboriginal words with English, local vernacular with literary & mythological references. It‘s a hard-hitting commentary of racism & colonialism in Australia but satirical & very funny re bureaucracy. Infused with Indigenous thought, it makes you see differently.

I heard this novel being reviewed glowingly on an Australian radio book show and added it to my long #tbr list. Written in 2011, but set mainly in the 1920s & 30s, it is a beautifully written, rural family saga about horse jumping. It felt a little Grapes of Wrath to me 🤔. I thoroughly appreciated (rather than enjoyed) this harrowing, affecting #ozfiction.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/dlJ2ErURQWQ

Enjoy!

I‘m surprised I‘m the first one to review this - it came out in 2019! Set in #Australia, this is a dual timeline double mystery, with similar situations and some trigger warnings (see below). Abby finds an injured teen in the bushlands, which triggers some horrific memories for her. This is the stage for the slow reveal of the past and present, involving abduction, violence, and what it means to forgive. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

After reading her biography I really wanted to read some of her books. This is the third I have read and the first she had published in 1990. It‘s taken me a long time to get through, it was not a page turner. The way she writes is exquisite. I‘m sure if she had lived this young woman would have written many great Aussie stories. I felt a bit sad leaving Clementine , the main character and narrator, at the end of the book.

Beautiful writing.

I‘m 25% in and reading this book is like watching paint dry, so I‘m out! I hope it works better for you, @CarolynM ! #ReadYourEbooks (18) #unshelved

The book fairies are looking after me. I requested this book from the library. The only hard copy was in our State Library . Today I found this copy in a local op shop. 👏👏. I‘m very happy.