A Far-Flung Life

In 1958 WA (Western Australia) the MacBride family runs a substantial sheep station. Over a million acres in a very remote location, the MacBride’s are one of the top wool producers in the area. It is a hard and isolated life. When tragedy strikes, Lorna MacBride is left with her distraught daughter Rose and Mattie, who may or may not survive the accident. She must snap back quickly and continue to manage the many hands who run and work the station or their family will be ruined. Set in this vast, baron land there are a few quirky characters Lorna can rely on. One is Pete Peachy, their roo shooter, a former war hero who keeps to himself but lives on the outskirts of the property protecting the family at all times. Pete feels a particular responsibility to help Matt recuperate and Rosie remain hopeful. As the author describes what it takes to survive this harsh wilderness and way of life we are brought deep into a family drama filled with layers of buried secrets, guilt and decades of regret. Oh, how I have been waiting since 2012 for this book! The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman was one of my favorites (and movie of same name 2016). Unfortunately even though the writing is exquisite, this novel that releases March 3, felt painfully slow I found myself waiting for it to be over. It wasn’t bad, I was just waiting to be drawn in emotionally and it it never happened. ⭐⭐⭐