 |
| Kindle Edition, 244 pages Published June 23rd 2011 by Pentalpha Publishing Edinburgh |
Book Blurb from Goodreads
1987. The morning after the Great Storm. A letter drops through the door of Jess Whitelaw's London flat and sets her on a journey through the Australian Outback and her own damaged psyche.
In the heat and dust of the Northern Territory, Jess’s protective armour is chipped away as painful truths are revealed. Tension builds like thunderheads heralding the start of the Wet.
My thoughts
The wild and often cruel landscape of the Australian outback is expertly captured in The Land Beyond Goodbye. From the beginning of the story it is obvious that the author has an affinity with this untamed landscape and uses this knowledge to bring together a skilful and at times spiritually moving story of one woman’s gradual awakening into what is significant and meaningful in her life. Interestingly, the story is not as it first appears, I expected a love story, but what I got was a multi-layered and quite intricate narrative, which blended mystery, mysticism and complexity to really good effect. At times the quirkiness of the characterisation left me a little bit unsure, as some of the main protagonists are not easily likeable, however as the story progresses and the characters start to blend together, the story then becomes a detailed and perceptive look at human nature.
5*****
This is is my first book by Barbara Scott Emmett and as I enjoyed it so much I am sure I will be looking out for more of her work in the future.
Thank you so much for a lovely review. I'm glad you enjoyed the book.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara - it was a pleasure :)
DeleteI loved this book; it made me feel homesick for Australia! Lovely review.
ReplyDeleteHi Liza - the book really makes Australia come alive.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the book too :)