Review: Much better than I expected
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 7, 2011
Based on the description, I was expecting an average story about poverty and bravery in face of adversity. Based on some of the reviews, I was expecting a story overwhelmed by too much history and sprinkled with sex scenes to make it attractive.I was wrong. This book is a gem.First of all, it's a fascinating story, depicting the brave life of Emma McKenna, a country girl from a family hit hard by life. We come to know her brothers and her mother, but she is the leader of the family, after their father's death. She receives blow after blow, is almost crushed, but doesn't give up.Then, we can see the background of the picture, the backstage of Emma's life. The story starts during the Great Depression in Australia and continues until close to the start of the World War 2. It's an interesting part of history, at least for me, because I have never heard of Australia's part in WWII.The author does a great job intertwining the main plot with the bits of history, by having some of the characters being part of major events, and telling the story through their minds. Not only once have I been frustrated by the apparent ignorance of the characters which portray perfectly the ignorance of the great nations which allowed the fascists to start the war.Throughout the story we see Emma playing an unwitting role (or not-so-unwitting) in some important events, and in the end we can admire the road she followed to get from absolute poverty to a relatively strong social standing.It's a great story, don't miss it.