I
loved this book. Telling the story of a father, Macauley, traipsing
around the outback of north-west NSW
in
the 1950s with his four-year-old daughter, Buster, in tow, The
Shiralee
(an
Aboriginal word meaning burden)
not only gives an unsentimental picture of the relationship between a
father and daughter but also a wonderful insight into the outback
itself and the people who inhabit it.
Macauley
has fled
not only the
city but also his wife after he found her in bed with another man. Now in
the far corner of the state, walking from place to place in search of
odd jobs, occasionally picking up a lift and all the time
camping
rough,
he
swings between mild irritation at having to take care of Buster, and a very possessive and deep love of the
child - a love which he is not always able to articulate.
Though
written in the vernacular, it is in no way forced or artificial but
manages to beautifully capture a period of Australia's past
that
possibly
no
longer exists. The many characters Macauley meets
are
nuanced
and realistic, blending well with observant descriptions of the
Australian outback. Definitely a book worth reading.
In
1957, the book was made into a successful film with Peter Finch in
the lead role.
Macauley
has fled
not only the
city but also his wife after he found her in bed with another man. Now in
the far corner of the state, walking from place to place in search of
odd jobs, occasionally picking up a lift and all the time
camping
rough,
he
swings between mild irritation at having to take care of Buster, and a very possessive and deep love of the
child - a love which he is not always able to articulate.