Pieces of Blue

by Kerry McGinnis

At the age of six, Kerry McGinnis loses her mother. Her father, left with four young children to raise, gathers up his family and leaves the city to go doving. For the next fifteen years, the McGinnis clan travels the continent, droving, horse breaking and living off the land. Kerry grows up in the harsh outback, and the animals that inhabit the land are her closest friends.

With the memory of her absent mother ever present, Kerry begins her difficult journey into young womanhood.

Genres: Australia, Nonfiction, Audiobook

308 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2000

About the author

Kerry McGinnis was born in Adelaide and, at the age of twelve, took up a life of droving with her father and three siblings. The family travelled extensively across the Northern Territory and Queensland before settling on a station in the Gulf Country. Kerry has worked as a shepherd, droving hand, gardener, stock-camp and station cook, eventually running a property at Bowthorn, near Mount Isa. She is the author of two volumes of memoir and now lives in Bundaberg.

Reviews

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Kerry recounts her story of her childhood and teenage years when out droving in the outback with her father and siblings following her mother’s death.

I can’t imagine a life of droving…months-long journeys, walking alongside the cattle, riding horses, breathing in dust, harsh surroundings, sleeping under the stars or in makeshift shelters…

Drovers certainly had to be tough to endure years of riding and living in the bush. I take my hat off to them all.


Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Miranda Nation
Duration: 10 hrs, 12 min. 1.50x Speed

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the lives of a family who, after the mother's/wife's death 'go bush'. Into the outback, learning from their very capable father, the four children learn all there is to know about droving , sheep, cattle & horses & everything else that their lives depend on. What a wonderful & hard way of life & also extremely interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Pieces of Blue. Thankyou for sharing such a big part of your life Kerry McGinnis. What an amazing man your father was.

[Maddisen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no doubt that for most readers getting through Kerry McGinnis’s autobiography will be a difficult feat due to the unexciting plot and irrelevant description that failed in forming a connection with the obtuse characters, ultimately affecting how enjoyable the story was. The unfair stereotypes give an unrealistic representation of Australian life because of her choice to omit details and place herself and her family above the rest of society so readers ‘sympathized’ with her story. ‘Pieces of Blue’ seemed like it would be filled with danger and passion, but it was a substandard memoir that was not complex or gripping.

[Danielle Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

After travelling the top end earlier this year I've developed an interest in the drovers life. Kerry's story is unique in that she gives us a young girls perspective on this physically hard, mentally tough but ultimately rewarding lifestyle that she grew to love. I found it hard to put down & would rate it up there with classics such as Tom Cole's 'Hell, West & Crooked' & Mary Durack's 'Kings in Grass Castles'.

[Deb Bodinnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a few of Kerry's novels have gone back to read her Autobigraphical books. What an interesting life this family had. Sad to lose a Mother so early of course, but going off droving with her Dad and siblings would have been an amazing experience for them all. This lifestyle has given Kerry so much brilliant insight for her novels it's no wonder they are wonderful.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to the author for sharing her family life as she grew up.
An amazing family saga I guess you could label it, but it is a story of survival and of a fathers drive to keep his children with him after the loss of his wife. What an incredibly tough life they lived, but an amazing life also. A life very very few would experience especially these days.
I have a friend whose life path in many ways journeys in the same way as Kerry McGinnis, he is perhaps 5 years younger than the author but his dad also pulled a 12 year old lad along with his slightly older brother from school and took them out into the road working and moving their huge truck load of bee hives around the inland areas and National Parks. I have always been enamoured with his stories of the following decades of his and his family’s life and I appreciate his knowledge of country and nature and wildlife. A knowledge gained from sitting, looking, and being by a part of that country. So it was wonderful to read of others living a life that had a similar shape.
This title is now being passed on to my friend and I look forward to hearing his comments

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining - gives a solid picture of the life of a droving family, and of survival as a family in harsh circumstances.

[Jay Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I recommend to library patrons in our small country town who enjoy Australian stories. As I’m writing a rural Australian family drama with a young girl without a mother from the age of nine, I picked this up for my interest in Australian history and for research.

I was pleasantly surprised how this memoir had me glued in time and place - so hard to put down. A memoir without boring bits, it reads like a great Aussie fiction. It belongs on my shelf between Bryce Courtenay and Robyn Davidson (Tracks). I didn’t realise Kerry has so many books published. (I usually take in books by audio, so often miss those that haven’t been digitised). I’ve given a heartfelt five stars for this, and do have The Waddi Tree on audio and will be uploading that to my phone with my next selections.

I simply cannot understand some of the harsh reviews I’ve read here. My mother used to always say if you haven’t got anything nice to say... you know the rest. Just put your three stars if you must and move on. I felt like I was clinging onto Kerry’s back riding double on her horse throughout the book. That says it all. Thank you Kerry for your story. I learned so much through your eyes.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true life story of Kerry growing up in the Australian outback with father and siblings after her mother passes away.
Highly recommended.

[Jeanette Morehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, mostly relaxing read of times gone by in outback Australia. I really enjoyed the stories, the look at a life so very different to my own.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this after having enjoyed the author's other book 'Heart Country'. Regrettably I could not finish this. It certainly does provide a wide window to country life. We found the practices towards animals unnecessarily cruel and unless you were born there were never 'accepted'. People from the city often have a misguided belief in the 'warmth' of country people. There was never any mention of school for these children either physical attendance or by correspondence. Though I will continue to enjoy memoirs the 'country' experience is accurate but unpalatable.

[Alyssa Winnem · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the loss of her mother at age 6, Kerry's world is changed forever. Kerry's father, Tom, raises Kerry along with her siblings, Sian, Patrick and Judith, with the teachings of working and living in the outback. Kerry depicts the perils and joys of her family whilst living on the red dirt land of Australia.

The tales of their lives (in the mostly arid outback of Australia) is a great insight, especially for those of an alternate childhood upbringing. I was disappointed that Tom seemed selfish in terms of considering his children and their grandparents. Kerry did well to portray his faults respectfully and gain closure in his demise.

Overall, a good read of the ups and downs and I do look forward to reading more from Kerry McGinnis.

[Janice Torrance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a true story of the life of a girl growing up along with her siblings and her Dad in the outback of Australia. A story of courage and resilience. A little slow moving and repedative through the middle, but because it was a true story, it was told in real terms. Her father was tough, knowledgeable, and an incredible role model. (No wimpy woke nonsense back then !!)

[Elizabeth Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the shortened version of this book in Readers Digest Encounters book. Interesting autobiography of droving lifestyle for father and his young children as told by one of his daughters. A forgotten way of life.

[David Marantelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about droving in outback qld

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing autobiography of Kerry’s life and childhood droving in the outback of Australia. Her mother died when Kerry was still young leaving her father to raise four young children single-handedly. Finding life in the city unsatisfying he decided to “go bush” and take the four children droving. Aged twelve Kerry sets off on an adventure, full of hard work and breathtaking scenery, droving their way up through the Northern Territory. I am amazed at the tenacity and stoicism of Kerry’s father and the bravery involved in turning his little family into a band of skilled drovers. Good to get a realistic picture of life in remote parts of Australia.

[Sue Diveley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's an autobiographical account of a girl whose dad took the family into the bush as drovers after the mom died. This is a fascinating look at the drover's life. I learned a lot about Australia, as well. It's a fascinating life and a unique look into a family.

[Jen Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good book

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book. Autobiography of her childhood or teenage years when her father took the family droving after their mother died.

[Marion Brownlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit hard to understand her grammar and style of writing. But an interesting true story of the old days