Texas: An Australian Love Story (Sarah Hay, A&U, $22.95 pb, ISBN 9781741753943, May) ***

Don’t be misled by the title, this book is by no means a romantic love story. Rather, it is a tale of loneliness and the harsh realities of mid-’80s life on a cattle station in a remote part of Western Australia. During the annual cattle muster, Susannah finds herself isolated at the homestead with her young twin boys. Educated, but trapped by her mother’s traditional ‘stand by your man’ philosophy, she finds existence difficult and disinteresting. It is far from the exciting life she expected and had been used to. Laura—a British backpacker hired by Susannah’s husband as a jillaroo, falls in love with Texas, the Aboriginal head stockman. Their love is centred around Laura’s ideal of exciting Australian life. Her unrealistic expectation of life with him and their future together delivers a harsh edge to the story. At times confronting, Texas touches upon difficult issues including racism, so is not a light read. Very Australian throughout, in language, setting and style, it will be enjoyed most by those who appreciate a challenging read. When you finish this book, you won’t be smiling, but it will definitely stay in your thoughts.

Tristan Blattman is special sales manager for UNSW Bookshop

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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