First published in 1941, Eleanor Dark's classic novel of the early settlement of Australia is a story of hardship, cruelty and danger. Above all it is the story of conflict: between the Aborigines and the white settlers. In this dramatic novel, introduced here by Humphrey McQueen, a large cast of characters, historical and fictional, black and white, convict and settler, brings alive those bitter years with moments of tenderness and conciliation amid the brutality and hostility.
All the while, behind the veneer of British civilisation, lies the baffling presence of Australia, a timeless land that shares with England "not even its seasons or its stars".
Read more ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eleanor O'Reilly was born in Sydney. In 1922, she married Eric Dark, a general practitioner and the couple moved to Katoomba and lived there for the remainder of their lives, with occasional journeys away. Eleanor pursued her writing as time permitted, completing nine novels by the 1950s, including the classic work The Timeless Land. Varuna Writers Centre in Katoomba was formerly the Darks' home. FROM AUDIOFILE
Eleanor Dark's 1941 novelistic tribute to her native Australia comes to life as James Condon depicts the arrival of the British in 1788, the reactions of the aboriginal people, and the clash of cultures that followed. Rather than just read, Condon declaims the text, making each word important, gliding over musical aboriginal names, and showcasing the poetic nature of the text. Aurally, he shows the difference between the mostly imperious Brits and the rough convicts who accompanied them. You hear the awe and wonder with which the natives encountered sailing ships, firearms, and alcohol. An informative introduction is included, also read by Condon, who was in his mid-eighties at the time of this tour-de- force performance. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine Read more
