Review: Enjoyable love story set on Australian station
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 4, 2014
I enjoy stories about Australia and ranches/cowboys - Red Dirt Heart has both! It was fun to read/learn about the life on an Australian station (farm/ranch). But, what I most enjoyed about this book was the narrator's voice. Charlie is a 25-year-old station owner/boss. He is down-to-earth with a wry sense of humor. He does not mince words. I loved the way he told the story. I also loved the two parental figure characters - George and Ma. If only everyone had someone like George and Ma in their lives. Here is a sample of George's wisdom: "I try harder because of that woman of mine, and I think if I can go to sleep each night known' I did my best for her that day, then I did alright."To go along with Charlie's personality and the overall setting, his relationship with Travis is not overtly flowery or romantic. But there are several touching moments and also others that are quite sexy. And Travis is a fun character - he just jumps right in with both feet.The book is written in first person and each chapter opens with a thought from Charlie that foreshadows the events in that chapter. I liked this construction. Here are a couple of my favorite chapter openings:"Horses should do a lot of things. Coming home alone ain't ever one of them.""Whoever sang about sorry bein' the hardest word obviously never had to say goodbye."I just wish the book had been a bit longer. But, it looks like there is a sequel planned.This was my first read of a book by N.R. Walker, but it won't be my last. Looks like I have lots of great books to catch up on!