Floodtide, Judy Nunn, Random House, $32.95 tpb, ISBN 9781741666854, November) ****

I must admit I started reading this book with a certain degree of scepticism. Although a convert to the underrated talents of Di Morrissey in terms of penning the contemporary Australian epic, I was unsure if Judy Nunn was similarly maligned by those who do literature with a capital ‘L.’ I am very happy to report that I am really impressed. This book is particularly well timed in terms of its setting and plot. As Western Australia again takes its place as the engine room of our economy, it examines the politics and values that emerged when this happened the first time around. Floodtide is written in four parts and follows the fortunes and misfortunes of four families, over four decades. With characters obviously inspired by newspaper reports, all the archetypal larger-than-life Western Australian personalities are represented and, as with most books set in the west, the landscape is as much a character as are the humans. Booksellers should feel free to suggest Floodtide for male and female readers equally and it will make a welcome addition to the Christmas list for those after a solid holiday read.