Set in the 1940s and first published in 1948, The Harp in the South is a well renowned Aussie classic. Author Ruth Park (who passed away in 2010) was Set in the 1940s and first published in 1948, The Harp in the South is a well renowned Aussie classic. Author Ruth Park (who passed away in 2010) was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1942. After marrying writer D’Arcy Niland they moved to Sydney where she wrote full time, with over fifty books to her name, and she also received many awards including a Miles Franklin Award.
The Harp in the South is a story of the Darcy family, living in the slums of Sydney, extremely poor and struggling through their day to day lives. Hugh Darcy had a drinking problem, and many times he came home drunk, suffering from a terrible hangover the next day. When Margaret (Mumma)’s mother (Grandma) came to stay with them, (as Margaret’s sister, who had had Grandma for the past eighteen months and was now unwell herself, could no longer care for her), their small dwelling at Number Twelve-and-a-half Plymouth Street, Surry Hills, became even more congested.
The story of Thady, Hugh and Margaret’s son who vanished from their front yard at only six-years-old was a prominent one, with the grief they both felt at not knowing what happened to him one that wouldn’t let up. Rowena (Roie) and her gradual emergence into adulthood, her mistakes, loves and desperation and Dolour, the younger daughter and her puzzlement of life; then there were the boarders who helped the Darcy family make ends meet – Mr Diamond and Miss Sheily and her retarded son Johnny.
These wonderful characters mingled with other lesser characters to make an amazing day to day look at life in Sydney back in the ‘40s when all they had was each other; their love for each other meant when Grandma began to lose her memory, slipping into the depths of Alzheimers, they brought her home for her last days, after a brief stint in a nursing home. When Roie suffered terribly, she was nursed at home.
I enjoyed this novel, though at times I found it a little slow. But overall it is a classic which should be read by all (Aussies) and definitely earned its place in the Top 10 Aussie Books to read before you die! ...more
I would often go into the bush and watch the birds and think in some ways they were like me – they had to fend for themselveAnd that’s the way it was.
I would often go into the bush and watch the birds and think in some ways they were like me – they had to fend for themselves as soon as the mother bird thought that they were old enough.
Abandoned by his mother at the tender age of two, Albert Facey lived with some of his siblings and his grandparents in Victoria until 1899 when his Grandma decided to take them all to Perth in Western Australia where they would reunite with family. Bert’s granddad had recently died and they were struggling to make ends meet.
(view spoiler)[But Bert’s mother was unable, and unwilling to take her children back, so they moved into the bush with an Aunt and Uncle, making a life with the Government grant of land, building their own farm and clearing the bush. The life was a hard one, and as Bert moved through his, he suffered cruelty from some, compassion and kindness from others.
Bert was known for his honesty, never breaking a promise when it was made; his courage was such that he was admired and liked by many. As he grew, he was determined to learn to read and write, feeling embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. Bert suffered the horrors of WWI where he just survived Gallipoli, being honourably discharged through injury. When he met Evelyn, she became the love of his life – their long marriage produced seven children and twenty-eight grandchildren. (hide spoiler)]
This extraordinary man was a very humble man, a man who believed he was very fortunate for the life he’d had; when his book won awards and prizes, he had no idea what all the fuss was about!
What a wonderful, inspirational book! So very Australian and one everyone should read at sometime in their lives. I’m very glad I have! ...more
On the 14th of February, 1900, St Valentine’s Day, a group of young ladies, all students of Appleyard College in Victoria, not far from Bendigo, went On the 14th of February, 1900, St Valentine’s Day, a group of young ladies, all students of Appleyard College in Victoria, not far from Bendigo, went on a picnic with two governesses and the driver of their cart. The picnic was to Hanging Rock, at the base of Mount Macedon, a dangerous place which they had been warned about; they were not to venture beyond the creek at the bottom of the Rock.
After a leisurely lunch and doze in the sunshine, three senior students, accompanied by a younger student by the name of Edith, received permission to go for a walk to the rock. They had to be back to the picnic site by 4pm. Another group were picnicking nearby, and even though no words passed between them, Mike and Albert were two of that group who did spot the girls, and watched them as they crossed the creek and walked up toward the summit.
The story of what happened during that afternoon and into the evening, and the subsequent months which followed leave a mystery so deep, so intriguing as to have the participants of these horrors quite fearful. With the events of that fateful day, lives changed, some with a happy outcome, but many whose futures were bleak.
I remember watching the movie many years ago and being intrigued by it all. The clambering over the huge rocks in the clothing of the young women of the day fascinated me, as I wondered how they would do it without coming to grief. I had also wondered in the past if this story was fact or fiction…it could well have been fact, and the way Lindsay wrote the story with the characters named at the beginning of the book also made me wonder. What did happen to the young women who were never found?
If you haven’t picked this one up as yet, I encourage you to do so; it’s quite thought provoking. ...more
What a wonderfully touching coming of age novel this is! I loved it, the tension, the nervous flush of young love, the injustice of the times....
It waWhat a wonderfully touching coming of age novel this is! I loved it, the tension, the nervous flush of young love, the injustice of the times....
It was hot, summer in Australia is like that, and December 1965 was no exception. The heat was cloying, there was no getting away from it, and the nights were the hardest...not much sleep for anyone. Late one night 13 year old Charlie Bucktin was lying on his bed in his sleep-out, reading...his absolute favourite past-time. Since his father had given him access to his library of wonderful books, he’d never been happier. Mark Twain was an especial favourite...
Suddenly there was a knock on his window. Jasper Jones stood outside and he wanted Charlie to go with him...Jasper was a social outcast in the town, he was mixed-race, rebellious and everyone said he was trouble. You definitely COULD NOT be seen with Jasper! So of course Charlie wanted to impress, and when Jasper seemed desperate for Charlie’s help, how could he refuse? He was terrified, but determined to stand by Jasper....
Following Jasper as they wound their way through the back streets of Corrigan, then through the bush to places Charlie didn’t even know existed was exhilarating, yet terrifying...Charlie had an awful fear of all creepy crawlies, and his imagination was going into overdrive. But when they arrived at their destination, all things faded into insignificance, as Charlie saw why Jasper had brought him here, to Jasper’s secret glade, his home away from home. His horror was absolute!
And so, Charlie’s life as he’d always known it, changed forever. With a secret this big, and his fear so great, with only Jasper and Charlie aware of what was happening, and the town’s suspicions and fears gaining momentum, Charlie couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep...he tried to keep up appearances, but everything was changing. His best friend, Jeffrey Lu, was the only person he could talk to, but he couldn’t tell him the secret, so his friendship was doubly precious. Cricket was Jeffrey’s love, so Charlie bowled to him, day after day, hour after hour; they listened to the Test Match on the wireless...with Charlie all the while trying the keep his thoughts in focus.
The absolute intensity of this novel as it covers things like injustice, hypocrisy, young love, racism and inhumanity make this story incredibly distinctive, at times I laughed out loud, at other times I was heart-broken.
Jasper Jones is an amazing tale by brilliant new Australian author, Craig Silvey. Highly recommended! ...more
When William Thornhill was a child in the slums of London, his family was incredibly poor…stealing just to survive. His sister Lizzie’s friend lived iWhen William Thornhill was a child in the slums of London, his family was incredibly poor…stealing just to survive. His sister Lizzie’s friend lived in Swan Lane, and she became like a sister to William. Sal Middleton became central in William’s life, and when his parents died, first his Mum, then his Dad soon afterwards, and left him and his siblings orphaned, he was able to spend time with Sal, in the warmth of her home, within the love of her parents.
Mr Middleton took William on as an apprentice the year he turned fourteen, and he began learning to be a waterman... he loved the river, and was never afraid of hard work, and was looking forward to the end of the seven year apprenticeship, when he’d be a freeman of the River Thames. He would marry Sal and their future would be secure.
After their marriage, seven years later, they couldn’t have been happier. And when Sal presented him with their first child, William, or Willie as he was known, life took on a rosy hue. But suddenly, their world came crashing down around them, and William began thieving again, just to keep their heads above water.
When he was caught, thrown into The Old Bailey, and then sentenced to hang, it seemed there was no hope. But Sal wouldn’t give up……..
On a bitterly cold morning in September, 1806, William arrived in Sydney Cove aboard the Alexander, after almost a year at sea. He was ‘given’ to his wife, Sal, who was to be his master, as she was free, and he had to serve for the term of his natural life. Sal had had their second child on the voyage, named Richard, known as Dick, and he was a fretful child.
The journey of William Thornhill, his wife Sal and their children is a brilliant one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the continuing history of their lives, first in Sydney, then on the Hawkesbury as a free man, with the Aboriginals already living on the river, the skirmishes with the ‘savages’, the language barrier, the beautiful but wildly untamed land … I would highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t read it as yet! ...more
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