I found this book when I ran a Google search for ‘books set
in the high country’, meaning the NSW Snowy Mountains. Given the title, Tony
Parsons’ book jumped out at me. The blurb on the back cover looked excellent –
just what I was looking for – and I jumped right in…
…only to discover early n that the high country referenced
in the book was, in fact, not actually in the Snowy Mountains, but at the other
end of the state, near Merriwa. The High Peaks property that is as much a focal
point of the story as any of it’s inhabitants, appears to be on a ridge but
it’s not the Snowies, and I felt a little let down.
For a moment, before I realised how good the story was. The
first third of the book tells the story of the romance of Andy MacLeod and his
wife Anne, and then subtly shifts focus to their charismatic young son – almost
a carbon copy of his father – David, or, as he is known, Davie.
The story is a wide-ranging one, charting the journey of
High Peaks and it’s inhabitants, including next-door neighbours, relatives and
other characters, some who live as far away as Queensland from the years after
the Second World War right through to the 1980’s. There’s plenty of talk about
cattle dogs, sheep and horses. In fact, I learnt a lot about life working the
unforgiving Australian land as a result. The story flows nicely, through good
and bad seasons, and there’s just enough intrigue and adventure to make sure
the story doesn’t bog down. Something is always happening.
Of course, there’s romance. David attracts the attention of
Catriona Campbell, the young and beautiful daughter of the well-to-do graziers
next door. The problem is, the Campbell’s and MacLeod’s don’t move in the same
social circles, and David is hesitant to enter into a relationship as a result.
Especially when he’s obsessed with winning the national cattle dog trials that
are held in Canberra every year. The build-up to the trials is the focal point
of the last third of the book.
I’m glad I stuck with this book even when I found out that
it wasn't set in the Snowy Mountains. I don’t normally read this sort of thing
– military and espionage fiction is my usual non-fiction go-to, when I’m not
reading Star Wars – but I’m glad I got into it, because I enjoyed the story and
I learnt a lot of new things.
The sequel, Return to
the High Country, is on my list of books to read over the Christmas break.
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