Outback Writer

Monday, April 14, 2014

Australian outback



There is nothing more dramatic than family life, and the plot of Eumeralla reflects this with spot on psychological accuracy. Expect to be surprised. One of the main themes is the failure of adults to realise that children grow up into real people, with inconveniently passionate emotions and the ability to ask awkward questions. Plus the unpredictability of falling in love.

There is a vivid portrayal of life in the Australian outback thirty years ago. This included descriptions of the beauty of the land, plus background conservation issues, problems with water and sanitation (the flushing toilet sub plot is surprisingly effective) and useful information about spiders and snakes.

The author shows how the physical isolation of the characters intensifies their emotions. Thirty years ago there was no chance of escape via computers, world wide networking or texting. And everyone has to work together to keep the farm going and the animals and themselves fed. Love is felt more deeply, but so is estrangement and hatred.

At the end of the book I was left with a single question. What happened next?




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