The Breaking

by Kathryn Heyman

Eleven-year-old Sarah is a watcher. She sees the way the smoke rises from the sulphide works to wreath the little Australian town of Boolaroo; she watches Dad, when he's not being a policeman, breaking horses in the back paddock behind the house. Sarah Sweet has learnt to observe, to be quiet, to avoid notice, filled with a rage so intense it threatens to overwhelm her. THE BREAKING is the story of a family tainted by its force, of a young life haunted by it, but also of the strength it gives to fight back. In its evocation of the parched landscape of rural Australia, the strange cadences of the language and the filmic vividness of its characters, THE BREAKING is a unique, lyrical testament to the power of the human spirit.

199 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Kathryn Heyman is the author of six novels including the forthcoming Storm and Grace (Allen and Unwin, Feb 2017), described by British writer Jill Dawson as "Dark, sexy, haunting...timely and important.." Her earlier works are The Breaking ( Orion, London, 1997), Keep Your Hands on the Wheel (Orion, 1999), The Accomplice (Hodder, London, 2003), Captain Starlight's Apprentice (Hodder, 2006) and Floodline (Allen and Unwin, 2013). She is also a playwright for theatre and radio and director of the Australian Writers Mentoring Program. Her short stories have appeared in a number of collections and also on radio. Heyman's writing has been compared with that of Joseph Conrad, Angela Carter, Peter Carey and Kate Grenville.

Kathryn's first novel, The Breaking was shortlisted for the Stakis Award for the Scottish Writer of the Year and longlisted for the Orange Prize. Other awards include an Arts Council of England Writers Award, the Wingate and the Southern Arts Awards, and nominations for the Edinburgh Fringe Critics’ Awards, the Kibble Prize, and the West Australian Premier’s Book Awards.

Kathryn Heyman’s several plays for BBC radio include Far Country and Moonlite’s Boy , inspired by the life of bushranger Captain Moonlite. Two of her novels have been adapted for BBC radio: Keep Your Hands on the Wheel as a play and ,Captain Starlight’s Apprentice as a five part dramatic serial.

Reviews

[Mew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving and real. I wanted to finish just so it could be over and I could escape the stifling misery. And then I didn't want it to end because I enjoyed the stifling misery.

[Meg Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. I liked how Australian it was and how the writer stayed true to this writing style. It was heartbreaking and the domestic violence and sexual assault was portrayed in ways that made you feel the trauma, specifically page 32. The interactions between the family members was raw and I did find this book moving.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grim; domestic violence and horse bashing.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read - a very powerful story.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great book. Just my kind of thing. Dark, well written, a central character you care about despite all her flaws. This felt like one of those little gems you stumble across and can't believe the author isn't more well known. I will be tracking down more books by Heyman and I urge other readers to do the same.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good read but not a lot of laughs. Well written and quite thoughtful. Felt like a first novel. I hope it was not autobiograhical. The main character did not have a lot going for her.