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rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
Set in late 19th C Australia, during the blazing heat, a young boy, 6 year old Denny, wanders away from his home. The novel covers the next several days of searcing for the child, hopefully to bring him home alive, or sadly to recover his body. The story is told in several voices, and also highlights the desolate landscape.
I found it interesting to hear all the voices and the people's priorities, concerns, hopes, fears, relationships, and more. A very different novel.
I found it interesting to hear all the voices and the people's priorities, concerns, hopes, fears, relationships, and more. A very different novel.
hannahwdel's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
lambsears's review against another edition
4.0
Great narrative, brilliantly evocative language, well-written complex characters, exceptional sense of place. A wonderful depiction of 19th century life and drama in the Australian bush, and the diverse communities within it.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
sctittle's review against another edition
5.0
This is historical fiction only in the sense that it doesn't take place in current times. There's no "history" being taught here, only the reality of what it was like in 1880s South Australia--how European settlers usurped the land from Aboriginal nations, how hard it was to farm using European methods and mindsets, how Aboriginals were mistreated and mistrusted, and how harshly beautiful the land was. At the end of the book you realize how the eruption of Krakatoa turned the sky red in so many parts of the world, but that knowledge doesn't take away from the eeriness of the scarlett sunsets--an image that pervades the book in so many interesting ways.
This novel's great strength is its sharply drawn characters and how they each respond to a local crisis. McFarlane is really good at shifting perspectives so that you get a sense of each person's inner life but also how they are physically and how they move in their world. Her women especially have such power, and they each wield their power differently.
I really really loved this book.
This novel's great strength is its sharply drawn characters and how they each respond to a local crisis. McFarlane is really good at shifting perspectives so that you get a sense of each person's inner life but also how they are physically and how they move in their world. Her women especially have such power, and they each wield their power differently.
I really really loved this book.
blairmahoney's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best Australian novels I've read in some time.
craftbuzz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
An aimless story that feels as though it wan'ts to be poetic and beautiful, but cannot decide on what it wants its message to be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death and Pedophilia
christiek's review against another edition
3.5
The characters and the central tensions are interesting. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I read it at a different time (not in a bit of a slump).
katel1970's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0