I didn't think I'd enjoy this - the cover felt "boyish" and I generally prefer books set in the present day. Surprisingly, I loved it.
The author writes evocatively about Australia in the days of the British colonies and gold rush. The characters were well-rounded and I was genuinely interested to see how the story panned out. Whilst it was clear from the start that there would be difficult times, the story was gentle enough that these harder moments weren't too gruelling!
My only critique is that it did feel a little bit over-long, and towards the end I was ready for completion of the tale.
The book reminded me how hard life was, not too long ago, and how human relationships really matter more than anything.
The author writes evocatively about Australia in the days of the British colonies and gold rush. The characters were well-rounded and I was genuinely interested to see how the story panned out. Whilst it was clear from the start that there would be difficult times, the story was gentle enough that these harder moments weren't too gruelling!
My only critique is that it did feel a little bit over-long, and towards the end I was ready for completion of the tale.
The book reminded me how hard life was, not too long ago, and how human relationships really matter more than anything.