From Alice with Love
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley August 12, 2013
Author Jo Dutton
Distributor:
ISBN: 978-1-74331-334-3
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release Date:
Website: http://www.allenandunwin.com
This is an intricate story about the many aspects that go towards making a community, re-establishing a life and winding the threads of ancient and modern together in a gift of love and loving that underpins all of society.
Jo Dutton has firsthand knowledge of Alice Springs, indigenous community and life in remote regions which all adds authenticity to this thought provoking novel of modern Australia.
Alice is at a crossroads in her life when she receives the news her mother is critically ill. She returns to her home town of Alice Springs to face the most testing time of her life: the prognosis on her mother is none too good. In the long hours sitting at her mother’s bedside she reflects on the many aspects of her life so far and finds she is a bit more than just lost, she is floundering but unsure of just what needs to be done about moving forward.
She reunites with friends of her childhood in the indigenous community and finds this begins to help her settle, along with the bond she has rekindled with the mother who always had a cause to be committed towards, bringing her more than hope, bringing her the beginnings of a future that was still unknown.
As the days of her mother’s long recovery pass Alice is offered the position of teacher establishing a new school at a remote community. The school has been long campaigned for and once the news comes that funding has been granted Alice takes up the challenge of working and living in a small community known as Promised Land with many of the friends and indigenous family she has grown up alongside.
Alice meets Patrick, a friend of her step-father who also teaches at a remote school who find they have much in common. A budding romance is established which will eventually cause both of them to confront various issues and decide whether there is a future in not only their lives together but their work in the remote regions.
Mixed in with incredible details and current historic background is a raft of characters which all have their own stories to tell about life in remote Australia, which when combined with the unique nature of the dessert makes this a very intricate and informative look at life and people.
As a long hot dry summer drags relentlessly onwards indigenous traditions come to the forefront when the ladies of Promised Land take themselves off to sacred land to carry out traditional women’s business in an attempt to encourage some much needed rain in the area.
This journey not only brings healing to the women of Promised Land but also to Alice and her mother as they return to place of bonding shared many years before.
This is an intricate story about the many aspects that go towards making a community, re-establishing a life and winding the threads of ancient and modern together in a gift of love and loving that underpins all of society.
Jo Dutton has firsthand knowledge of Alice Springs, indigenous community and life in remote regions which all adds authenticity to this thought provoking novel of modern Australia.