Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Charlie Archbold, Wakefield Press, $24.95.
Mallee Boys is a debut novel that’s a poignant read. This coming-of-age story encapsulates the distinctive voices and lives of two young brothers living in rural Australia.
While it’s also about families and how they splinter and mend, it also lets us in to realise the closeness and isolation of small communities. It’s a distinctive book, being the winner of the 2016 Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award.
These words speak volumes: “Sometimes I feel like I’m neither one thing nor another. I live in the Mallee but I don’t like the desert. I live on a farm but I get hay fever and I’m scared of goats. I like school but my best mates don’t. I’m stuck between stuff. It’s like I’m not meant to be here but I am.”
The meaning of an isolated life, and its impact, the arduous effort is apparent. Sandy and Red are growing up on a farm in the Mallee. Life is tough on the land, but there is also sadness following the loss of their mother. This adds to the struggle.
Working hard to keep the farm afloat, Red, 18, works alongside his father, Tom. On the other hand, Sandy, 15, feels a little out of sorts. His has a different disposition. His mother died a year ago and nothing has gone right since then. Being studious, susceptible, and afraid of goats, learning to grow up has become a big effort.
It is a restrained story about the daily activities of the two boys and their father. Friendships and honesty also play a big role in this engaging novel.
Even though Charlie is a woman (names can be deceptive), this writer/teacher explores maleness with great insight and credibility.
Mallee Boys is a 2018 Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour book.
