Painting the Light

 Painting the Light

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       May 24, 2022

 

Author  Ned Manning.

Distributor:      Broadcast Books
ISBN:                 9780648905363
Publisher:         Broadcast Books
Release Date:   April 2022  

   Website:   https://www.nedmanning.com/painting-the-light

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Painting The Light is a detailed and fascinating look at a period of history in Australia. The time frame covered is from just before WW11 with the setting around the pastoral regions of Western New South Wales. The characters have been brought to life by the fact that they are based on the author’s own parents, and their passions and intent are authentic. The detail is so rich that it is evocative, and the older reader can relate to many of the social customs.

In essence this is a romance, but the lives of Nell and Alec are far from straightforward. Having been separated by the war they eventually get together on a property which Alec is buying. They begin to settle down, but Alec has been awakened to the prospect of different possibilities after having fought overseas, and met with many different people.

The new ideas and ways of living have made a deep impression on the young farmer, and he is encouraged to voice his ideas. Eventually he is heard at the highest levels and asked to stand for Parliament.

Nell’s story is one that also encapsulates the role of women at the time. Her plight along with the intolerable treatment of the local Aboriginal people, shows how class distinction and the sense of entitlement has changed in Australia. The politics and the power games of the times were questionable.

This is an interesting story on many levels. It is a great look at the history of the times and that region and the new ways of thinking after the war which caused disharmony to the conservative folk. The love story is very beguiling.

Fiction