I read constantly, and I love Australian authors, so why did I not know Tim Winton?  Oh, but if I didn’t, I do now, and that’s the thing about reading, isn’t it?  This affecting novel is told in the first person by Jaxie Clackton, a horribly abused young man you will never forget, as rough and raw as his short life has been.  Jaxie runs away into the western Australian wilderness where, with his survival in doubt, he discovers another unlikely loner grubbing out an existence.  What a story this is, rich in both place and characterization.  Thank you, Mr. Winton, for this book and for everything else you’ve written that I’m going to read.

Full Disclosure:  A review copy of this book was provided to me by Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley.  I would like to thank the publisher and the author for providing me this opportunity.  All opinions expressed herein are my own.