Danny Dawson lives in the middle of the Australian outback. His older brother Jonny was killed in an accident last year, but no one ever talks about it. And now it’s time for the annual muster. The biggest event on the cattle station; a time to sort the men from the boys. But this year things will be different. Jonny’s gone and Danny is determined to prove he can fill his brother’s shoes. His fourteen-year-old sister is pregnant. It’s getting hotter and hotter and the rains won’t come, and now the cracks are beginning to show… When Danny’s mum admits she can’t cope, the family hires a housegirl to help out – a wide-eyed English backpacker. She doesn’t have a clue what she’s let herself in for. And neither do they…

A bittersweet story of family life, grief and growing up, set amid the harsh and vivid terrain of the Australian bush.

“Lewis brings rough poetry and raw poignancy to this coming-of-age tale set in the epic Australian outback. I loved it.” Keith Gray

“A stunning coming-of-age story with a gripping Australian outback setting and a strong and interesting plot. A debut novel to look out for.” Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading4Kids

Product Details

Format

Paperback

ISBN

9781849392488

Publisher

Andersen Press Ltd

Date published

March 3rd, 2011

Lexile measure

840L Lexiles are the global standard in reading assessment. They are unique as they are able to measure a child and a book on the same scale – ensuring the right book gets to the right child at the right time.

For more details see What is a lexile?.