4 out of 4 stars
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Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane takes us through a year in the life of Natalie, a sixteen year old girl living in Australia around the middle of the 20th century. She goes to work for a well-to-do couple to help her mother with the living expenses for her family. Her family includes her grandfather, mother, step-father, a younger brother with a learning impairment, and two young sisters who all live in the small home that her grandfather built on his once thriving two hundred acre farm.
Natalie’s relationship with her step-father Alex is very volatile. He has a problem with alcohol and becomes abusive when under the influence. His drinking also affects his ability to provide financially for his family. Natalie longs to know more about her and her brother Joey’s real father who was of aboriginal descent and died tragically when they were both very young.
I genuinely enjoyed the author’s ability to bring the characters and the Australian setting alive with thorough descriptions. Even though some readers may have trouble understanding the dialect used in the dialogue, I feel that it adds dimension to the characters and the area in which they live.
I admire Natalie’s spirit and strength as she deals with poverty and adversity at home. She displays a strong devotion to her family even as her busybody sister’s actions spark more conflict in the already difficult relationship between Natalie and Alex. As I became immersed in the story I began to root for Natalie to prevail and improve her and her family’s life. I was somewhat disappointed when she became sexually involved with her employer Mr. Glover. Mrs. Glover treated Natalie with respect and even guided her in her painting and inspired her to become an art teacher. I know this is my personal opinion but this was the only aspect of the book that I do not applaud.
Ironbark Hill would be a good read for teenagers who may encounter some of the same problems as Natalie. Abuse and the struggles that stem from being of mixed race are issues that cross the barrier of time and sadly many adolescents are victims.
I rate Ironbark Hill 4 out of 4 stars. Overall I was very entertained and could not wait to find out the outcome of Natalie’s encounters with the coming-of-age issues she faces. This book appears to have been professionally edited as I noted only a few minor errors.
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Ironbark Hill
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