Nicole AlexanderRecensioni

This is a dual timeline family saga by debut Australian author Nicole Alexander. The story moves between Hamish Gordon in Scotland and rural Australia in the 1850s, and his great-granddaughter Sarah in the 1980s. A central concern is the land itself. Hamish works hard, often in none too ethical ways, to acquire the Wangallon property in rural New South Wales, and his son Angus schemes to ensure its succession is taken care of by the later generations. Sarah herself is torn between on one hand her love of the land, working on the property and her attraction to gifted station hand Anthony and on the other, her life in Sydney as a photographer with the stability of her boyfriend Jeremy and freedom from the family tragedies and responsibilities.

This was a pleasant enough read which creates the feel of life on a property in Australia. My personal peeve was the use of some anachronistic “un-Australian” terms which don’t feel authentic in this genre. For example, when did an Aussie ever wear a “sweatshirt”, “hunker down” or call a flour and water mix cooked over the coals “bread” and not “damper!” I also did not find the characters in either timeline particularly likeable or relatable. Hamish was an ruthless old rogue, his wife Rose had an awful life, as did some of the Indigenous women on the property. Sarah clearly couldn’t work out who she was or what she wanted, which although it was fair enough in the context did eventually make me want to shake her. The only agreeable person was Anthony who was a fairly one-dimensional akubra-wearing cardboard cutout. Although the cover suggests this is a rural romance, it isn’t really. The romantic elements take second place to the land and family saga and were not overly convincing. And lastly if there was a reason for the title I must have missed it. I can only think of one example of any bark being cut. Despite those issues the story was enjoyable enough and I would probably try another book by this author. 3.5 stars.½

Story that is written about a number of key characters form their early life in 1923 jumping forward to 1965. Good historical reference to attitudes during both times towards: unwed mothers, aborigines, half-casts.

Finally finished. This was woeful.


- All the speech was stilted and awkward.
- Couldn't tell the difference between any of the Wade men OR Philomena's descendents
- A whole family of women who make men fall in love with them instantly, for no reason (except the one who looked too much like a Native American, who was killed off immediately without even being given a name)
- Over the course of her trip to Australia (which the reader see none of), Abelena goes from a hard nosed bitch rejecting all her Native heritage to gross caricature talking in dreamy riddles and randomly hugging trees and grabbing handfuls of earth.
- The only characters I actually cared about (the Todd family) get no conclusion.
- Abelena decides she's going to make her own decisions for once (yay)... so she walks into an Aboriginal camp where the dying elder tells his son to take her to their ceremonial spot and fuck a son into her. Abelena goes along with this. (what. the. fuck.)


I could find more to criticise but I've already wasted enough of my life on this drivel.

Do not recommend.

Nicole ALexander pulled it off again..another great Australian story.

A sweeping saga spanning three generations, and two continents, Nicole Alexander’s fifth novel, The Great Plains, is an absorbing tale of love, loss, betrayal, belonging and freedom.

The story begins in Dallas, Texas in 1886, before moving to the plains of Oklahoma, and then to the Queensland bush, nearly fifty years later. It follows the trials of three generations of beautiful and strong willed women, Philomena Wade, abducted and raised by Apache Indians, her granddaughter Serena, claimed by her wealthy uncle, successful Texan business man Aloysius Wade, and Serena’s eldest daughter, Abelena, whose fates are inextricably entwined with the obsessions of three generations of Wade men.

The Great Plains is a multi-layered novel with complex characters believable for both their virtues and their flaws. The major theme of the novel is the notion of belonging with Alexander exploring the bonds created by family, and within that the debate of ‘nature versus nurture’, the spiritual attachment to the land felt so deeply by the indigenous peoples in both North America and Australia, and finally the idea of belonging to oneself.

The story references some of the historical events of the time including the development of the Wild West, the abolition of slavery, the Great Depression and World War 1, as well as key figures, most notably the legendary Apache Indian, Geronimo. Alexander also explores several social issues and beliefs raised by both time and place.

The Great Plains is grand and involving fiction blending history and family drama, skillfully crafted by a consummate storyteller.

Moving between South East Queensland and the First World War battlefields of France, Sunset Ridge is an epic tale of family, love and war. Nominated as one of '50 Book's You Can't Put Down' by Australia's nationwide Get Reading program for 2013, it is a compelling novel, well deserving of the recognition.

At the urging of her mother, Jude, art historian Madeleine Harrow-Boyne has agreed to consider the feasibility of a retrospective art exhibition to feature her grandfather's landscapes, but to tempt a gallery to sponsor the project Madeleine needs to learn more about David Harrow, who died before she was born. Hoping to discover something of interest, Madeleine returns to the family property, Sunset Ridge, in South East Queensland, currently managed by her brother, where her grandfather was born and raised. It is there that Madeleine stumbles upon the remarkable legacy David Harrow left behind, one that extends beyond his art, and the boundary of Sunset Ridge.

I was fortunate to meet Nicole Alexander at an author event recently and learnt that Sunset Creek was inspired by her own grandfather's life. Alexander is a fourth generation grazier in north west NSW where her family farm cattle, sheep and crops. Sunset Creek is, at least in part, modeled on her family property and the author has drawn on her family's stories to lend authenticity to her setting and characters.

David Harrow is the youngest of three brothers, heirs to Sunset Ridge. It is 1916 and Thaddeus and Luther are growing restless under the thumb of their tyrannical father. When G.W. pushes his sons too far they escape, enlist in the army and are sent to France to fight in the Great War.

For details of life at the Front, Alexander had access to wartime correspondence and news clippings kept by her family, supplemented by meticulous research. Alexander's descriptions of life in the trenches in Verdun and Somme are harrowing and vivid. She beautifully captures the experiences of David and his comrades, the poignant mix of heroic spirit and abject terror found on the battlefields, tales of bravery, sacrifice and tragedy.

In France, Alexander forges the link between David and the Chessy family. Madame Marie has reluctantly seen her twin sons, Antoine and Francois, accompanied by their pet dog, Roland, off to fight, having already lost her husband to the war. Her small farm is often used by allied forces to provide respite to its soldiers and it is here, Madeleine will eventually learn, part of David's legacy rests.

A stunning Australian saga told by a consummate storyteller, Sunset Ridge is an absorbing read and one I won't hesitate to recommended.

This book moves between the early 1920's and the 1960's with ease. That is easy to follow, but I still found myself getting confused what era Scrubber was in at times. The basis for the story is really good. It describes early Australia and the harsh outback lives people endured with great beauty. Cora's life is described very well . However for some reason this book did not score well with me. There is something in it somewhere that didn't gel. Perhaps with more thought I will discovere what it is

This book is set in a dual time period, 1923/24 and 1965, in Sydney and Absolution Creek. Jack Manning, looking for a way out of Sydney and the turmoil the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge has caused in his life, finds himself with the management rights of an isolated property out west. Squib has been born and bred out in the harsh country. Scrubber is running away from trouble, or towards it at times. Cora is the Manager of Absolution Creek in 1965, and it is largely through her that we learn the twists and turns of this story.

It is hard to say much more without giving major parts of the story away. The author has focused on the relationships between the characters. As she has told the story from the perspective of multiple characters it makes it easier to understand the motivation behind their actions.

This book was lent to me by a friend of a friend who thought I might like it. She was right. I liked the characters and the story, and I loved the Australian setting.½

As a fourth generation grazier, Nicole Alexander writes what she knows, sweeping sagas set in Australia's rural farming land. Absolution Creek is her third novel, with dual narratives set in 1923 and 1965.

Jack Manning is eager to escape the family run grocery store in Sydney's grimy city streets and make his fortune so when a kindly neighbour offers him the opportunity to make a living on the land he jumps at the chance. Promising to send for his sweetheart, Olive, in a few months, Jack sets off to Absolution Creek determined to establish New South Wales finest station. With only a few books to guide him he purchases sheep and begins the arduous task of taming the bush.
More than forty years later, as an old man begins his journey from southern Queensland in search of redemption, Cora chases a wild pig from the banks of Absolution Creek in the predawn light and considers the imminent arrival of the niece she has never met, and her plan for revenge against the step sister who destroyed her family.

Initially the shift between timelines is quite disorientating as the characters seem entirely unrelated but as the narrative unfolds revealing the past and present, the stunning connections between Jack, Scrubber, Cora slowly begins to emerge. Three quarters of the way through the lengthy book I was tempted to complain about the sheer crowd of characters but as the book concludes each finds a path that adds to the depth of the plot. It was Squib's, and later Cora's, story I found most intriguing though, as the epicenter for novel's story.

The historical details in the novel are fascinating, beginning with the forced acquisition of homes and businesses to make way for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I can barely imagine the city without the iconic structure in place. I was also unfamiliar with the story of the ram featured on our fifty cent piece, (I am sure I have mentioned it before but Australian history was completely neglected when I was at school and I am constantly amazed at what I am finally learning through fiction) which I found interesting. At least I know a little about the hard work it took (and still takes) to farm in rural Australia and I felt Alexander's portrayal of the life authentic.

Absolution Creek is a complex tale of love, betrayal, jealousy, murder and revenge. I found it to be an absorbing read and I'd recommend Absolution Creek to fans of both historical fiction and the rural lit/romance genres. I am only sorry it took it's time making it's way to the top of my reading list.