An Australian family and a Muslim immigrant family both move to the same area in the Riverina, looking for a new life. Their paths soon cross, but prejudices in the town, and even within their own families, arise. When the Australian family's soldier son disappears, it's first thought that he may have run off with the Muslim girl, but darker forces are afoot. Can faith and courage find a way?
I enjoyed this YA novel. The writing is very strong, with great use of original metaphors, similes and interesting verbs. I cared about the main characters and wanted to see what happened to them. Two brothers from the outside community are guilty of bullying, but I liked the way the author didn't show them as one-dimensional. We had a glimpse into their lives and saw why they might have taken that path. There were a couple of little plot problems for me and one thread that I didn't feel was tied up well enough, but I enjoyed the book on the whole. It's ultimately a hopeful story of redemption and lives rebuilt, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to grapple with a few meaty issues while being entertained.
