I decided that since there are probably a few who might want to know why I like this book so much I would elaborate a bit so that those who will never read it may know more about it.
The reason I like it so much is that he goes into great details when the hero, Quinn, recalls his time spent in the war, and how bleak and dreary that the war had been. He is able to give an insiders look at the way soldiers actually behave when huddled together, facing death, yearning to die when aboard a ship taking them home so that they throw themselves overboard, but a few somehow or other, such as himself, seem to brave their way through it, little knowing how or why they are capable of staying alive when everyone around them is getting killed. A good deal of the story is telling him how lucky he is to be alive...his memories of spending days walking in the forests, mindlessly, senselessly, is really quite moving.
The little girl Sadie Fox is so fascinating because she knows so well how to survive despite her orphan state, that she has no compunction about entering homes, standing outside the windows, listening to everything that is going on inside, finding ways to get necessities, food, weapons, clothing, and other tools to survive. All along she is a child who believes in fairies, who has a supernatural streak where she can listen to the animals talk, divine someone's thoughts, and somehow thwart her enemies...
The spoiler is that it is the brother of Quinn's mother who is the real murderer so that Quinn can never tell his mother for he knows it would break her heart and since she is dying, he keeps it to himself rather than to try to convince her. He learns who the man was who held Sarah down while his uncle raped her later in the story but pretty much a good reader would have figured that out.
There are many touching scenes, especially with Sadie Fox holding onto the faith that her brother will come to get her and protect her, but sorrow that at such a young age she is truly alone in life, and the one person who she dreads most is Robert, the uncle who has become the town constable. He let the people believe that it was Quinn who did the terrible deed, but Sadie is who knows the truth about other girls who he has also raped and killed and lied about. Quinn learns from her about the other girls and how Sadie manages to avoid and evade the evil constable.
The epilogue is wonderful because it explains how the townspeople can never be sure whether Quinn did really return home to speak to his mother for that is explained as due to her fever, and the only other person who had seen him is considered one of the town's disadvantaged mentally so nobody believes him either when he tells of talking to Quinn. It is a strange kind of justice which keeps the truth well hidden.
I won't go too much further but believe me, you will love this book if you decide to read it. It grabs you and keeps you glued. I won't give away the way that Quinn eventually confronts his uncle for he has been so afraid of him for so many years but it is a great conclusion.
I learned a lot about Australia that Americans are too dimwitted sometimes to consider that it is not only American boys who join the worldwide effort to confront an enemy. We Americans sometimes forget that other nations also have stories of their own to tell about the wars that we fight together.
An interesting note is that Quinn's mother is quite an educated woman who read stories to her children while they were growing up, and a few references to Greek plays fascinated me...making me think of my effort in my novel. My intent is to show the impact of drama and literature on the men['s lives while they tramp around the world...so I found it intriguing that this is a small part of this book as well...Interesting at how some people's minds seem to gravitate to the same places.
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