Judy Nunn

Based on history, this novel tells a story which takes place in an area of South Australia which was turned over to British nuclear scientists to test nuclear bombs similar to those dropped on Japanese cities in 1945. The background to this novel is horrifying and tragic and resulted in a devastating betrayal of the Australian people, especially our indigenous population.
The US would not agree to share its nuclear technology with the UK, much less the loose-lipped Australians. Without show more consulting cabinet the then Australian prime minister, Robert Menzies made a deal with the British to allow them to use underpopulated areas of Australia to test the horrific weapons. The UK felt threatened by the Russians and the French were ahead in their understanding of nuclear warfare as well. Sadly, despite the sacrifices made by the Australians, the British ultimately betrayed the Australian government by refusing to share the technology and data gained during the tests. This is background which you will not find in the novel, but is now information readily available in Australia to those who are interested. It is still surprising though how many Australians do not know what happened on the Montebelle Islands (WA), or at Emu Plains and Maralinga (SA).
Sometime in my youth I watched with horror a documentary where a whistle blower from the CSIRO, provided evidence about the carelessness of the British scientists, the complicity of the Australian scientists and the wanton disregard for the well-being / safety of the indigenous people who called Maralinga home. The truth turned out to be even worse than this documentary, and the novel cannot expose any more than a fraction of the horrors associated with this time.
After watching the whistle blower's documentary, I remembered a strange day in 1956 when I was about 5 years old. Our home was to the south east of Maralinga, perhaps 500km from the test site. On this particular day it was very cloudy and quite windy. My dog was "spooked" by something and stayed indoors all day whimpering under my chair. This would have been about the time that Adelaide's atmosphere contained radio active material 900 times more than was considered safe.
As for the novel itself, I persisted with it because it was about a time in history of interest to me.
The author goes into a lot of detail describing the psychological games that the characters play. I am not sure that the detailed sex scenes add anything to the story, but the subplot about the suffering of the Aborigines was heartbreakingly real. Those who cannot face reading the non-fiction title, "Maralinga; The chilling expose` of our secret nuclear shame and betrayal of our troops and country" by Frank Walker could perhaps read this novel instead. show less

In 1876, 16-year-old Emily McQuillan lies dying, lost in the Australian desert. When she is rescued by an Aboriginal family she becomes one of them, adapting to their way of life and learning the language before marrying and having a child. Their peaceful existence is shattered one day, and she is caught up in the massacre of her family by those who see Aboriginal Australians as little more than vermin. In 2001 Jessica Manning is an Aboriginal/Irish woman hired to negotiate between Elders show more and those building the Ghan railway to ensure sacred sites are preserved. Surveyor Matthew Witherton and his team must create a rail corridor on which the track will be laid. They have reached the final leg between Alice Springs and Darwin and are crossing Aboriginal land. Matt has no idea about his aboriginal heritage, but is deeply affected by a site that the railway is set to run through, which isn't known to local Aboriginal people. Are his ancestors reaching out to him from the past (his great-great-great grandparents?), can Jess help him unravel the story, and can they make a bold move of rerouting the railway? Some wonderfully strong female protagonists are featured in this book, an important story that helps to tell the sordid past of Australia and the effects that echo today as well as informing the reader about the Aboriginal race, their history and beliefs, as well as the terrible impact of colonialism upon them. Well done. show less

Another delightful surprise from the library shelves! The initial attraction was to read a novel by Ailsa Stewart from Home and Away, but after a slow start, the story and setting eclipsed the novelty of the Aussie soap star author.

I absolutely loved the chapters with Jane 'Mamma Tack' Thackeray in the South Pacific during the Second World War, which were beautifully evocative and consistently engrossing. The modern day counterpart, with Aussie actress Sam recreating Jane's life for a film, show more was useful for explaining the history and independence of modern day Vanuatu, yet the kismet angle was stretched to the limit (and might have actually snapped in the final chapter). I loved learning about the island nation, from the tropical scenery to the pidgin language of Bislama, and I even grew to like Sam, but could have lived without her contribution to the story.

That said, all of the characters were interesting, if lacking in depth (white hats and black hats abound). An epic adventure that Colleen McCullough would approve of, the story begins with the dramatic rescue of a soldier at Dunkirk, then zips forward to modern day London and the arrival of teen soap star Sam Lindsay from Oz. Via a quirk of fate that didn't really work for me, Sam falls in love with a seaside guest house and finds herself drawn to the history of the previous occupier, a tragic young woman named Phoebe. I would have liked to follow Phoebe's story, but instead the narrative packs up and moves to the other side of the world, when Phoebe's friend Jane marries and moves to the South Pacific as a nurse and the wife of a missionary doctor.

Both Sam and Jane are personable young women, though with an unfortunate streak of the Mary Sue about them, who take charge of their lives and find romance with Mr Right. I had fears of the novel turning into just another formulaic 'family saga', but Judy Nunn's writing and attention to historical detail really lifts the story out of Cookson territory, I think.

A fascinating and rollicking good read, from Alf Stewart's wife (sorry, still can't get over that!) show less

This Australian novel brought measured praise from our group. Everyone agreed that the enjoyment level of the read was high enough to be considered worthwhile, but factually it fell short for a few of us. The character of Elizabeth and her family in particular stretched the believable boundary for some, and although we felt Nunn’s research to be laudable, we all would have liked more of a precise history written into the story. But then Nunn is a fiction writer and a few members stressed show more that this was about ‘storytelling’ and not an historical document.

There were plenty of unanswered questions left open for discussion, which gives inquiring minds such as ours, something to examine and analysis. By the end of it all, there were some who were keen to read on about Maralinga and learn more about the apparent cover-up and effects of nuclear testing in Australia.

By the end of our meeting it was clear that, when a novel can stimulate the mind to such a degree, it is always worth the read and reinforces the value of fiction and book clubs! show less