Lots of words have more than one meaning and in Ice Louis Nowra explores the many meanings of this three letter word to construct an entertaining and thoroughly engaging historical novel set mostly in Australia in the late 19th century. It begins with an iceberg being towed into Sydney Harbour where there is great celebration as the ice is carved and sold and the two people responsible for the feat are highly acclaimed. One of these two, Malcolm McEacharn, becomes the focus for the novel. He lost his father at sea, he marries in England and later returns to Australia. He perfects the transportation of refrigerated meat to England and he goes on to build the most astonishing house in Melbourne, where he becomes the mayor, and even has a go at becoming Australia’s second prime minister. This part of the novel is a fantastic element and I really liked the picture of an alternate Melbourne created by the author. There is a parallel story as well, of the biographer of Malcolm McEacharn, living in modern Australia and the contemporary meaning for the word ‘ice’. The whole book is fast-paced and lots of fun.

Clive Tilsley is the owner of Fullers Bookshop in both Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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