In the Shade of the Shady Tree: Stories of Wheatbelt Australia

by John Kinsella

In the Shade of the Shady Tree is a collection of stories set in the Western Australian wheatbelt, a vast grain-growing area that ranges across the southwestern end of the immense Australian interior. Kinsella’s stories offer glimpses into the lives of the people who call this area home, as the reader journeys from just north of the town of Geraldton to the far eastern and southern shires of the region. Cast against a backdrop of indigenous dispossession, settler migration, and the destructive impact of land-clearing and monocultural farming methods, the stories offer moments of connection with the inhabitants, ranging from the matter-of-fact to the bizarre and inexplicable. Something about the nature of the place wrestles with all human interactions and affects their outcomes. The land itself is a dominant character, with dust, gnarled scrubland, and the need for rain underpinning human endeavor. Inflected with both contemporary ideas of short fiction and the “everyman” tradition of Australian storytelling, this collection will introduce many readers to a new landscape and unforgettable characters.

190 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2012

About the author

John Kinsella is the author of more than twenty collections of poetry. The recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award, he has taught at Cambridge University and Kenyon College. He lives in Western Australia.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugely enjoyable, imaginative collection of short stories which elegantly describe the mindset of the Europeans whose ancestors ruthlessly the indigenous people from their land and proceeded to turn it through their vast wheat farms into a barren, salt-saturated monoculture. Ecological devastation and red-neck attitudes appear to go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, as we can see form the first reviewer, there is a defensiveness and sense of entitlement there which denies that a problem even exists. Kinsella doesn't preach but employs a subtle approach, giving even the most unsavoury characters a vulnerable and human aspect.

[Anita · Rating 1 out of 5]

finding this pretty insulting to those in or from wheatbelt towns (of which I'm one). They're either stupid, violent, racist, drunks or environment cowboys. I'll see how more I can read.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and enjoyable collection of short stories. Some are very "slice of life" and not much happens, and others have more mystery and plot. The characters were believable and relatable.