Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker
(morrispublishingaustralia.com)
PB $30.00
(plus postage and handling approx $5)
ISBN
78-0-646-55733-5
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
Gunnedah Hero is a book that will be remembered
long after its reading. It’s an Australian historical, fictional adventure
presented in two parallel stories set in the past and present. It showcases the
effects of drought on the lives of the farming communities and the landscape,
as it profiles the drastic measures taken by desperate farmers to save their
stock and land.
Fourteen-year-old
Gunnie Danson is faced with a real challenge when he has a school assignment on
the drought. He knows nothing about the subject. But a weekend at the cattle
farm Wiralee Station that has been in
the family since 1848, and a manuscript in a box left to him by Smokey, his
great, great grandfather, will change his life forever.
As Gunnie begins
to read the manuscript, little by little he uncovers Smokey’s life, including
the greatest challenge he faced when he drove their remaining one hundred cattle
during the harshest drought up the long paddock in1910, to save Wiralee Station.
The central
story is told in lyrical prose in Smokey’s words. The language reflects the
poetic style of the era used in poems and story-telling. This coming-of
age-story about a boy with courage, resourcefulness and resilience plays out
amidst other sub-stories of Australian pioneers seeped in their own grief, loss
and a struggle for survival.
But it is
not a dark tale. The story is filled with light and hope; with impressive characters
that coloured the early landscape with their escapades and adventures. Some
carried terrific stories along with news to the lonely drovers they
encountered. Others brought danger and were a threat to the solitary traveller.
A recurring point that flows through the book, is the relationship between the
drovers/farmers and their animals – mainly dogs and horses, and the crucial,
often life-saving role they played.
The poetry
that the author has included gives another dimension to the prose with its
relevance and humour. These poems are again singular sub-stories which portray
other lives; where life becomes the
focus, no matter whose life is portrayed.
This is a
perfectly crafted, exceptionally well-written book which has been
self-published. It comes highly recommended by the reviewer.
Thank you Anastasia for the insightful review of Clancy's novel. We are very grateful to both you and Vicki for your support for this book tour. Without wonderful people like you, many great books, like this one, would never reach their audience.
ReplyDeleteElaine and Clancy
Absolute pleasure to let readers know about the books that are out there, especially those that include one of my favourite topics Australian history.
ReplyDeleteI just loved the book. The story is somehow intriguing; you can’t pause or stop for a while because you want to know what will happen to him. No wonder it was listed in top Kindle books before.
ReplyDelete