All that divine colour might have felt like an omen: heaven leaking between the trees. But once they reached the plateau the truth of this country was revealed to them.
Iris and Floyd are the children of parents, transported from the old country for poaching, who escaped servitude. The Renshaw name is a byword for thievery and violence despite the twins’ efforts to rescue their reputation through hard work and honesty once free of their parents. Theirs is a difficult relationship, scratchy and taciturn, but each knows that their best chance of survival is with each other. With no work on the horizon, Iris suggests they head to the highlands after hearing about a puma killing sheep and now humans. Travelling through a starkly beautiful landscape, they find a tavern oddly enclosed with the bones of what might be a whale from eons ago when the plateau and mountains were submerged. They decide to rest there, picking up whatever information they can. There’s much talk of the Patagonian who left over a month ago, now presumed dead. Iris finds herself smitten with one of the hunters with whom she and Floyd reluctantly decide to combine forces. The twins have no real hope of a positive outcome, but their quest will end in a way they could never have imagined.
Somewhere nearby a peat bog was surely being hacked apart, its soggy fibres soon to be smoked into wine. Pumas stalked the wet air; hunters bled into the clouds. Great caches of ancient bones blended into the whiteness.
As with his previous novels, Arnott’s writing is anchored in the natural world but he knows how to spin a story, too. Themes of colonialism, human meddling and inequality are lightly woven through this compelling tale of the hunt for a puma brought from another continent by the ancestors of the very people she’s now killing. The magnificent landscape through which Iris and Floyd travel is gorgeously described in vivid word pictures summoning up a stark beauty which enchants Iris. As they follow Dusk’s trail, the twins’ backstories are sketched in for us – the childhood stealing for parents addled by drink, rare kindnesses remembered, the reputation that no amount of honest hard work can expunge. A strikingly beautiful novel from a writer who’s become a favourite for me. My only sadness is that he’s no longer with the indie who published his first three novels in the UK.
Vintage Publishing: London 9781784745981 224 pages Hardback (read via NetGalley)
Somehow, despite the fact that this was a book I really relished, Limberlost is the only Arnott book I’ve so far read. I think this latest might be my next.
There are some striking descriptions of landscape in this one that I think you’d enjoy.
Just reserved from the library. It’s not even in stock yet. ‘Pending’ …
Excellent. Published yesterday so should be on the shelves shortly, I hope.
You’re ahead of the pack!
Great to hear you liked this one Susan. I have it on pre-order. Like you, Flames and Limberlost were my books of the year when I read them.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one, Cathy. I’d have loved to see it on the Booker longlist.
I’ve yet to discover his literary charms – probably should…
I think you’d enjoy his writing. I was put off Flames by a touch of magic realism mentioned in the blurb but loved it.
I keep meaning to try Robbie Arnott. This sounds so atmospheric.
I loved some of the images in it. He’s such an imaginative writer.
Always delighted when I see an Australian book reviewed in the UK; so pleased it has finally been released there Admittedly, I didn’t like this one as much as Limberlost or the Rain Heron (I’m yet to read Flames… it’s in my TBR) but it has strangely infected my consciousness and scenes from it still occasionally spring to mind more than 8 months later. I think it’s the weird made-up elements (the puma, the peat wine) that have stuck.
It’ll be those whale bones that will stick for me, I think. I’m pleased to be able to review an Australian book. I wish more of the novels I see on your, Brona’s and Kate’s blogs were available here.
Like Kim said, I too am delighted to see Robbie getting the bookish love I think he deserves in the UK. There is one scene in particular from The Rain heron that has stayed with me for years, and like you the whale bone carcass over the pub is something that I sh was real!
I see you are on NetGalley – I assume the UK version? As a bookseller I signed up to the International (US) edition as that was where most of the Australian publishers were. But I could see that Lizzy was getting books that I had not seen, which was when I realised there were multiple versions. On a whim, I tried to sign into the UK one with my existing password etc and it worked – with all my reviews, stats etc there as well. I can now request UK & European based published that I had not been able to on the other site. I now move between the two to check what books are available. You might be able to access some Australian books by logging into the International version too?
Thanks so much for the tip, Brona. I’ll try that out. Obviously something to do with rights sales, but it’s a mystery to me why more Australian (and Canadian) fiction isn’t published here.
The whale bones conjure up quite an image. I’m definitely intrigued!
He’s that rare thing – an original writer. I think you’d enjoy his work, Marcie.
Glad you enjoyed this one. I didn’t love it the way I loved Limberlost, but I think Limberlost is one of those truly extraordinary stories that will be hard to match!
I’m so impressed by his writing, and delighted that it’s being published here.
Not so sure about the UK cover though! Looks nothing like Tasmania, even an imaginary/mythical one.
It’s a mess, isn’t it. I assume those pink stripes are to suggest the whale ribs but who knows!