Fourteen-year-old Gunnedah ‘Gunnie’ Danson is despondent because he has an assignment on the drought. As a ‘Townie’ he knows nothing about the affects of this blight on the rural industry; but that is about to change. When he returns home from school he receives a surprise gift.
His late grandfather has left him a box containing a manuscript. It was written by Gunnie’s great-great-grandfather, Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson after his journey up the long paddock as a fourteen-year-old drover; during a harsh drought in 1910. At the back of the manuscript is an envelope. It’s NOT to be opened until Gunnie has read the entire story.
Gunnie spends the weekend at Wiralee Station; a cattle station that’s been in the family since 1848. There, he reads the awesome manuscript and learns of Smokey’s adventurous journey. But while he is at Wiralee, he learns more than he bargained for. The family cattle station is under threat. Will the contents of the mysterious envelope save it?
Review: This story is so good it gave me goosebumps. It is a wonderful coming of age story for boys. It is set in the Australian bush and parallels the lives of two boys – one a present day lad of 14, and the other, his great-great-grandfather at the same age. The story is based on a manuscript left to the present day lad that tells the story of his great-great-grandfather’s heroic journey to save the family’s cattle property during the 1910 drought. It is cleverly written and is a heart warming and enjoyable read that will appeal to more than the young adult audience it is targeting. I loved editing and formatting it. I laughed and cried; and for hours, I was totally lost in the bush setting and the lives of the two main protagonists. It was ‘Highly Commended’ in the FAW Jim Hamilton Award – 2007 National Literary Awards, and has been favourably acclaimed by many notable people.
eBook now available for immediate download on Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114638
Printed copy available from http://MorrisPublishingAustralia.com
On Writing 