Blue Skies, shining on me…

Nothing but Blue Skies, do I see.

What a wonderful old song and what a wonderful new book.

The nicest thing about Fleur McDonald’s novels is how romantic she makes life on the land sound, even though Fleur knows first hand there’s nothing glamorous about it at all. It’s hard yakka.

Amanda Greenfield, the lead character in Blue Skies, doesn’t shy away from the prospect of hard work either. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep Kyleena – the family property – going after her mother dies in a tragic car crash, leaving her father depressed and distant. The intriguing plot, and yet another collection of well-drawn and likable secondary characters, keeps Amanda busy and with more obstacles than there are sheep to crutch on Kyleena!)

Blue Skies – following on from Fleur’s best-selling debut novel, Red Dust – opens with a very moving and evocative prologue and first chapter, their impact making it impossible for me to put the book down.

What I loved

I love that Blue Skies is a story for everyone, at any age – from city teenagers swamped by their pressurized and carbonised suburban life, to grandmothers who remember a simpler time and place.

I loved the unexpected, and the weaving of two stories – one set in the 1930’s/40’s, the other modern day, spanning several years. Fleur’s authentic depiction of generations working the same Esperance property is a treat for readers who, like me, enjoy reading about Australia’s early settlement, but not necessarily full on historical novels.

Blue Skies is a realistic account of farm life in which the author has set up a classic mystery, cleverly sprinkling clues in the same way she sprinkles back-story through a compelling plot that keeps the reader wondering until the very last page.

What I learned

The diversity and beauty of this wide brown land called Australia continues to surprise and delight, and the town of Esperance – both the name and the way Fleur describes it – evokes a unique image of untamed country, touched by a tempestuous coast. (My West Australia itinerary is growing every day!)

Just as red dust and blue sky is quintessential Australia, so too are Fleur McDonald’s novels – Red Dust and Blue Skies. By naming her next book Purple Roads, she’s not only writing up a storm, she’s on her way to writing a rainbow! But it’s her readers getting the pot of gold at the end.

Blue Skies by Fleur McDonald is published Allen & Unwin. For more information about the author visit her website http://www.fleurmcdonald.com/

Also find more great Aussie authors: Bronwyn Parry, Helene Young and Fiona Palmer on Facebook. And keep an eye out for up and coming A&U author – Karlene Lane.