John Thornton

This is a truly remarkable work, completely different to any other of Mick’s books that I have read (& that is all but ‘Reconstruction’ & the Dolphin Street short stories). To call it ‘plain and unadorned’ doesn’t do it justice, makes it sound basic or boring but it isn’t: it’s a dystopic/misanthropic view of an emotionally-stunted & evil man, a gentle, sympathetic view of a naive young woman and a realistic assessment of the capacity of her somewhat ‘neglectful’ older sister to rescue her. I cannot speak too highly of this book. It left me weeping tears of joy.