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Kal
In a story as sweeping as the land itself, bestselling author Judy Nunn brings Kal magically to life.DESERT GOLD RUSHKalgoorlie. It grew out of the red dust of the desert over the world's richest vein of gold. People were drawn there from all over the world, to start afresh or to seek their fortunes.DREAMS AND STRUGGLESPeople like Giovanni Gianni, fleeing his part in a family tragedy. Or Maudie Gaskill, one of the first women to arrive at the goldfields, and now owner of the most popular pub in town. Or Caterina Panuzzi, banished to the other side of the world to protect her family's honour. The burgeoning town could reward you or it could destroy you, but it would never let you go.FORGING A NATIONFrom the heady early days of the gold rush to the horrors of the First World War, to the shame and confrontation of the post-war riots, Kal tells the story of Australia itself and the people who forged a nation out of a harsh and unforgiving land.
678 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
69 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Judy Nunn
48 books336 followersJudy Nunn (born 13 April 1945) is an Australian actress and author.
Judy Nunn's career has been long, illustrious and multifaceted. After combining her internationally successful acting career with scriptwriting for television and radio, Judy decided in the 80s to turn her hand to prose. The result was two adventure novels for children, EYE IN THE STORM and EYE IN THE CITY, which remain extremely popular, not only in Australia but in Europe. Embarking on adult fiction in the early 90s, Judy's three novels, THE GLITTER GAME, CENTRE STAGE and ARALUEN, set respectively in the worlds of television, theatre and film, became instant bestsellers. Her subsequent bestsellers, KAL, BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS, TERRITORY, PACIFIC, HERITAGE and FLOODTIDE confirm her position as one of Australia’s leading popular novelists.
Judy Nunn's career has been long, illustrious and multifaceted. After combining her internationally successful acting career with scriptwriting for television and radio, Judy decided in the 80s to turn her hand to prose. The result was two adventure novels for children, EYE IN THE STORM and EYE IN THE CITY, which remain extremely popular, not only in Australia but in Europe. Embarking on adult fiction in the early 90s, Judy's three novels, THE GLITTER GAME, CENTRE STAGE and ARALUEN, set respectively in the worlds of television, theatre and film, became instant bestsellers. Her subsequent bestsellers, KAL, BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS, TERRITORY, PACIFIC, HERITAGE and FLOODTIDE confirm her position as one of Australia’s leading popular novelists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 26, 2016
Another excellent story by Judy Nunn, full of Australian history and a sweeping family saga. Full review to follow ...
My review: Kal tells the story of two families spanning two generations: Giovanni flees the Italian Alps after his part in a family tragedy and Caterina is banished to the other side of the world in order to protect her family’s honour. Both of them end up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australian town that sprouted up from the red desert dust and the world’s richest vein of gold in the late 1880s. Kalgoorlie was a place for people looking for adventure; a place to start life anew and possibly find one’s fortune in gold. Here the Italians cross paths with the Australian Brearley family: Maudie, who runs a miners’ pub and her husband Harry, charismatic conman, and his son, Jack.
The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.
Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.
A rollicking great read!
My review: Kal tells the story of two families spanning two generations: Giovanni flees the Italian Alps after his part in a family tragedy and Caterina is banished to the other side of the world in order to protect her family’s honour. Both of them end up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australian town that sprouted up from the red desert dust and the world’s richest vein of gold in the late 1880s. Kalgoorlie was a place for people looking for adventure; a place to start life anew and possibly find one’s fortune in gold. Here the Italians cross paths with the Australian Brearley family: Maudie, who runs a miners’ pub and her husband Harry, charismatic conman, and his son, Jack.
The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.
Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.
A rollicking great read!
September 20, 2021
I decided to read this book because a fellow author said my novel GOLD! reminded him of it. (Thanks, Lewis) Both Kal and GOLD! were set mainly in Kalgoorlie and both stories were centred around gold mining.
I had trouble getting into Kal at first, but persevered and by the time I was into chapter two, where the action moved from Italy to Western Australia I was invested. Unfortunately, I had to put it aside for a few days and when I returned I just couldn't get interested again.
Ms Nunn obviously did a lot of research on this book. The amount of historical background and facts on the mining industry in the era it was set in is extensive. The problem, to me, was that facts and settings alone do not make for a gripping story. Try as I may, I found this book to be slow and plodding. Long on descriptions and settings but short on action, (with a few notable exceptions)
Maybe it gets better. I hope so. I just didn't have the inclination to find out. I read about 25% of this book, so maybe some would say I shouldn't be writing a review. Nevertheless, It's my opinion that as a writer, Ms Nunn makes a damn fine actress.
My rating is two stars for the story and the telling, and a bonus one star for diligence in research.
I had trouble getting into Kal at first, but persevered and by the time I was into chapter two, where the action moved from Italy to Western Australia I was invested. Unfortunately, I had to put it aside for a few days and when I returned I just couldn't get interested again.
Ms Nunn obviously did a lot of research on this book. The amount of historical background and facts on the mining industry in the era it was set in is extensive. The problem, to me, was that facts and settings alone do not make for a gripping story. Try as I may, I found this book to be slow and plodding. Long on descriptions and settings but short on action, (with a few notable exceptions)
Maybe it gets better. I hope so. I just didn't have the inclination to find out. I read about 25% of this book, so maybe some would say I shouldn't be writing a review. Nevertheless, It's my opinion that as a writer, Ms Nunn makes a damn fine actress.
My rating is two stars for the story and the telling, and a bonus one star for diligence in research.
January 25, 2019
‘Find gold for me at the bottom of the world.’
Two generations of two families feature in this huge novel about Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The novel opens in 1892 in Italy, and ends in Kalgoorlie after the involvement of some characters in World War I. The Brearleys are an Australian family: Maudie was brought up in a tent on the goldfields, and now runs a pub in Kalgoorlie. Her husband ‘Flash Harry’ is an opportunist, always looking for an angle. And there’s his young son, Jack. The Giannis are an Italian family, drawn to ‘the bottom of the world’ in the hope of a better life. There are two Gianni brothers: Rico and Giovanni, and the story of how they came to Australia is quite convoluted. Caterina, a young woman from the same area of Italy, is banished to Australia. She also ends up in Kalgoorlie. Coincidence is marvellous.
But once in Australia, the Giannis are not always well treated. Rico has a hair-trigger temper which often leads to violence. The Giannis enter into a partnership with Harry Brearley in a mine called the Clover. Then just as they are getting ahead, Harry Brearley sells the mine. The brothers though they were equal partners but find that they were not. Harry’s action starts a feud between the families. And you’ll need to read the novel for yourself to see how it is all resolved.
‘Kalgoorlie will become a city of substance, a city in its own right, not dependent on gold alone.’
This big novel was just what I needed to read during a couple of very hot days when any more strenuous activity was beyond me. This story was sometimes enjoyable and frequently predictable. It was also inhabited by an interesting blend of (mainly) awful characters. I didn’t really get a great sense of Kalgoorlie from the novel: I was too busy focussed on which awful characters would do what (and to whom) next. It’s part love story and part adventure but it never really grabbed me the way that ‘Tiger Men’ did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Two generations of two families feature in this huge novel about Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The novel opens in 1892 in Italy, and ends in Kalgoorlie after the involvement of some characters in World War I. The Brearleys are an Australian family: Maudie was brought up in a tent on the goldfields, and now runs a pub in Kalgoorlie. Her husband ‘Flash Harry’ is an opportunist, always looking for an angle. And there’s his young son, Jack. The Giannis are an Italian family, drawn to ‘the bottom of the world’ in the hope of a better life. There are two Gianni brothers: Rico and Giovanni, and the story of how they came to Australia is quite convoluted. Caterina, a young woman from the same area of Italy, is banished to Australia. She also ends up in Kalgoorlie. Coincidence is marvellous.
But once in Australia, the Giannis are not always well treated. Rico has a hair-trigger temper which often leads to violence. The Giannis enter into a partnership with Harry Brearley in a mine called the Clover. Then just as they are getting ahead, Harry Brearley sells the mine. The brothers though they were equal partners but find that they were not. Harry’s action starts a feud between the families. And you’ll need to read the novel for yourself to see how it is all resolved.
‘Kalgoorlie will become a city of substance, a city in its own right, not dependent on gold alone.’
This big novel was just what I needed to read during a couple of very hot days when any more strenuous activity was beyond me. This story was sometimes enjoyable and frequently predictable. It was also inhabited by an interesting blend of (mainly) awful characters. I didn’t really get a great sense of Kalgoorlie from the novel: I was too busy focussed on which awful characters would do what (and to whom) next. It’s part love story and part adventure but it never really grabbed me the way that ‘Tiger Men’ did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 29, 2022
I might come back to it one day.
If I do, it will be a real book, not audio. The readers version of an Italian accent made them sound... unintelligent and simplistic. The accents used for kids and (sometimes)women were... odd.
I was nonplussed when it started in Italy, because I felt all fired up for a book set in Kalgoorlie, so that was a slow start. Then I became wholly absorbed in the story set in Italy and as soon as I was completely invested... Off we zoomed to Kalgoorlie and a whole new set of characters.
It was a stop and start reading experience, and around about the time the brother comes out from Italy and turns out to be a lying a*hole, I decided the whole thing was too depressing for my frame of mind.
I well might revisit it, but the voices inside my head do one hell of a better Italian accent, so I will not be trying the audiobook again.
If I do, it will be a real book, not audio. The readers version of an Italian accent made them sound... unintelligent and simplistic. The accents used for kids and (sometimes)women were... odd.
I was nonplussed when it started in Italy, because I felt all fired up for a book set in Kalgoorlie, so that was a slow start. Then I became wholly absorbed in the story set in Italy and as soon as I was completely invested... Off we zoomed to Kalgoorlie and a whole new set of characters.
It was a stop and start reading experience, and around about the time the brother comes out from Italy and turns out to be a lying a*hole, I decided the whole thing was too depressing for my frame of mind.
I well might revisit it, but the voices inside my head do one hell of a better Italian accent, so I will not be trying the audiobook again.
May 3, 2021
Fantastic book really enjoyed country & characters & story telling. Best book I've read of Judy Nunn.
July 31, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I think the ending was perfect and Judy Nunn did an amazing job describing Kal
June 29, 2016
Kal tells the story of two families spanning two generations: Giovanni flees the Italian Alps after his part in a family tragedy and Caterina is banished to the other side of the world in order to protect her family’s honour. Both of them end up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australian town that sprouted up from the red desert dust and the world’s richest vein of gold in the late 1880s. Kalgoorlie was a place for people looking for adventure; a place to start life anew and possibly find one’s fortune in gold. Here the Italians cross paths with the Australian Brearley family: Maudie, who runs a miners’ pub and her husband Harry, charismatic conman, and his son, Jack.
The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.
Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.
A rollicking great read!
The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.
Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.
A rollicking great read!
August 20, 2015
Well, if you're looking for a super sized 'Mills and Boon' type novel. Look no further.
Here you'll find page upon page of heavy drama, "romance" and predictability.
Here you'll find page upon page of heavy drama, "romance" and predictability.
October 11, 2018
Not as good as her previous books. Just seemed to end abruptly
January 23, 2022
This book fits the genre of historical fiction. It tells the story of two generations of two families living in Kalgoorlie from the late 1880s until after World War I ends. It commences with Caterina and Giovanni momentarily meeting in the Italian Alps. Giovanni leaves Italy and heads to the goldfields of Kalgoorlie after a family tragedy involving his brother. Around the same time Caterina is forced to leave Italy to save her family's honour. 'Coincidentally' they both end up in Kalgoorlie where Giovanni's brother and his family also move for adventure and the opportunity to start a new life.
Life in the difficult dry outback of the gold rich town of Kalgoorlie and the harsh reality of life for many of its women is bought to life by the author. It speaks of the history of gold and the fortunes, hard work and disappointments faced. There are splendid characters and there are some awful characters in the book. The brothels are aplenty in this male dominated town and there is one Australian family who Giovanni and his brother grow to dislike immensely.
Italians in general are not trusted to work in the goldfields and furthermore not welcomed by Australians in Kalgoorlie. Giovanni can cope with this but his brother cannot. He has a short temper and is unforgiving. The more likeable Giovanni recognises Caterina as the girl he met in the Italian Alps but she is married with a family and keeps the fact that she knows him, to herself.
The story that follows is one of hope, love, fights, hatred and more. Friendships forged in Kal are taken to Europe during World War I, after which Kalgoorlie welcomes back those who return alive from the western front to the aftermath of women having to cope on their own with so many men away fighting.
I loved this saga and appreciated the history of Kalgoorlie after visiting it a few years ago. I walked the dusty streets and even visited one of its brothels to gain an insight into what life must have been like during the gold rush years. The author did not disappoint.
Life in the difficult dry outback of the gold rich town of Kalgoorlie and the harsh reality of life for many of its women is bought to life by the author. It speaks of the history of gold and the fortunes, hard work and disappointments faced. There are splendid characters and there are some awful characters in the book. The brothels are aplenty in this male dominated town and there is one Australian family who Giovanni and his brother grow to dislike immensely.
Italians in general are not trusted to work in the goldfields and furthermore not welcomed by Australians in Kalgoorlie. Giovanni can cope with this but his brother cannot. He has a short temper and is unforgiving. The more likeable Giovanni recognises Caterina as the girl he met in the Italian Alps but she is married with a family and keeps the fact that she knows him, to herself.
The story that follows is one of hope, love, fights, hatred and more. Friendships forged in Kal are taken to Europe during World War I, after which Kalgoorlie welcomes back those who return alive from the western front to the aftermath of women having to cope on their own with so many men away fighting.
I loved this saga and appreciated the history of Kalgoorlie after visiting it a few years ago. I walked the dusty streets and even visited one of its brothels to gain an insight into what life must have been like during the gold rush years. The author did not disappoint.
June 23, 2020
An atmospheric story Kal tells the tale of two families making a life in the red dust gold town of Kalgoorlie. The Giovanni’s escaped Italy to get rich down under after a violent altercation leaves one of the brothers crippled and full of dangerous rage. While the Brearley’s have made themselves a success in Kal through Maudie’s hard work with her pub and a little con artistry from Harry. An unequal partnership between the two families creates a violent feud that carries through the generations as the families try to battle the beast of Kal that can make or destroy you.
Sweeping the Gold Rush to the First World War Judy Nunn does a fantastic job of mixing fact with fiction to create super readable Australian history novels. Somehow desolate and beautiful at the same time, lovers of the outback I think you’ll find yourself completely transported to another time and place.
Sweeping the Gold Rush to the First World War Judy Nunn does a fantastic job of mixing fact with fiction to create super readable Australian history novels. Somehow desolate and beautiful at the same time, lovers of the outback I think you’ll find yourself completely transported to another time and place.
October 20, 2021
An immensely engaging saga sweeping across decades, beginning in Italy and ending in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about these people and the mining town of Kalgoorlie. Two families, one Italian and one Australian are brought together as we follow their lives through happiness and tragedy. I loved reading about the history of Kalgoorlie as it unfolded and the passions and heartache of those who lived there. A book I didn't want to put down nor indeed come to an end, as I was so involved with the characters lives. A joy to read and highly recommended.
August 7, 2021
I decided to read this book as my grandmother grew up in Kalgoorlie at the turn of the century. Many of the things she described: the shortage of water, the harsh life for women and the way children made their own fun are included in this family saga. As with many of Judy Nunn's books, their are too many coincidences especially involving the romantic relationships, however it is worth reading for the way she captures life on the gold fields in this harsh part of Australia.
December 3, 2023
I really loved this book for a few reasons, but mostly because Judy Nunn skillfully crafts a setting that becomes the real star of the show. Of course the tale itself wending its way from Italy to Australia through Boston, Galipoli and the Somme following the fortunes of the Brearleys and the Giannis keeps the reader involved and the number of coincidences, whilst far fetched actually added to the pleasure of the saga.
I would recommend this book as a good read.
I would recommend this book as a good read.
April 12, 2025
3 parts spanning the years 1892 - 1914 and 2 generations of families.
This is a classic Judy Nunn Australian saga wrapped in history.
Kal tells the story of migrants coming to Kalgoorlie for the gold rush and the struggles they have with racial difficulties.
Then the sons of the migrants going to war in Gallipoli.
This is a classic Judy Nunn Australian saga wrapped in history.
Kal tells the story of migrants coming to Kalgoorlie for the gold rush and the struggles they have with racial difficulties.
Then the sons of the migrants going to war in Gallipoli.
September 28, 2018
The wild west gold rush town of Kalgoorlie where a man can make his fortune. Where a man can meet his maker. Roughing it to get rich quick while supporting your family all the while coming from a totally different country is a harsh reality. How did they do it?
July 22, 2019
Another wonderful read by Judy Nunn.....great Storytelling! What a fabulous movie this would make telling the story of the mining days in Kalgoorlie....the Europeans working there and how it was for them....the War....even Boston comes into it as do the Italian Alps! So much!
August 29, 2021
After a heavy stint of non-fiction I thought it was time to read some mindless fiction. This wasn't too bad but really not the greatest of books. I think this style of book has been done to death personally.
January 25, 2019
3.5 stars - could’ve been shorter
April 30, 2019
As always, a great story from a great Aussie storyteller
August 28, 2019
excellent book
October 4, 2019
Loved the storyline
March 18, 2021
I was late to the Judy Nunn book club but this book just sold me on her characters, her sense of story and place that just envelops you as a reader. Give me more!
June 19, 2021
Interesting read about intertwined families and their daily lives in Kal during the gold rush days and historic moments of that time.
March 12, 2023
Another great book
May 8, 2023
Read some time ago but enjoyed Judy Nunn's description of Australian life .
September 1, 2023
Having visited Kalgoorlie recently, this novel was especially interesting. It would seem that Judy has done a huge amount of research as the novel is authentic and so interesting.
February 10, 2024
My first read of this Author. A fascinating story of the early gold mining times in Kalgoorlie. It tells the story of two families their trials successes and love for the land
February 29, 2024
Excellent read will try and read more judy nunn books
March 31, 2025
Tried to listen to this as an audio book as I am interested in the Kalgoorlie/ Coolgardie gold rush era. But I cannot persist. Just awful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews