Fabio and Salvatore are two young men in post-war Italy with very different experiences of life when respective tragedies lead them to migrate to Australia on the promise of work and a new start. The reality of the `refo' holding centres near Albury, the terrible conditions endured by workers on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and the unanticipated racial prejudice that Fabio and Salvatore encounter is an under-documented part of Australian history. This beautifully written story, which follows the fortunes of Fabio and Salvatore from their long-established Italian heritage to the comparatively raw and disjointed environment of 1950s Australia, makes you ache with nostalgia for all immigrants. With the journey from ravioli di pesce to boiled mutton and potatoes, for example, Kissane subtly highlights the sacrifice of their decision. Unlike Fabio and Salvatore, the author is able to move effortlessly between Italy and Australia, capturing the essence of each country with some simple and lovely prose. Evidence of careful research into his topic is woven seamlessly into the narrative and makes this an important novel about our multicultural beginnings. To be released not long after Snowy Scheme workers reunite for the first time 50 years after the first blast, Andy Kissane's first novel marks him out as a writer to watch.

Fiona Meiers is a freelance writer who has also worked as an in-house editor. 

C. 2000 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

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