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The Lucky Galah
A magnificent novel about fate, Australia and what it means to be human... it just happens to be narrated by a galah called Lucky.
It's 1969 and a remote coastal town in Western Australia is poised to play a pivotal part in the moon landing. Perched on the red dunes of its outskirts looms the great Dish: a relay for messages between Apollo 11 and Houston, Texas.
Radar technician Evan Johnson and his colleagues stare, transfixed, at the moving images on the console -although his glossy young wife, Linda, seems distracted. Meanwhile the people of Port Badminton have gathered to watch Armstrong's small step on a single television sitting centre stage in the old theatre. The Kelly family, a crop of redheads, sit in rare silence. Roo shooters at the back of the hall squint through their rifles to see the tiny screen.
I'm in my cage on the Kelly's back verandah. I sit here, unheard, underestimated, biscuit crumbs on my beak. But fate is a curious thing. For just as Evan Johnson's story is about to end (and perhaps with a giant leap), my story prepares to take flight...
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 RUSSELL PRIZE FOR HUMOUR WRITING
SHORTLISTED FOR THE UST GLENDA ADAMS AWARD FOR NEW WRITING (2019 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS)
SHORTLISTED FOR THE READINGS PRIZE FOR NEW AUSTRALIAN FICTION 2018
LONGLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2019
LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020
It's 1969 and a remote coastal town in Western Australia is poised to play a pivotal part in the moon landing. Perched on the red dunes of its outskirts looms the great Dish: a relay for messages between Apollo 11 and Houston, Texas.
Radar technician Evan Johnson and his colleagues stare, transfixed, at the moving images on the console -although his glossy young wife, Linda, seems distracted. Meanwhile the people of Port Badminton have gathered to watch Armstrong's small step on a single television sitting centre stage in the old theatre. The Kelly family, a crop of redheads, sit in rare silence. Roo shooters at the back of the hall squint through their rifles to see the tiny screen.
I'm in my cage on the Kelly's back verandah. I sit here, unheard, underestimated, biscuit crumbs on my beak. But fate is a curious thing. For just as Evan Johnson's story is about to end (and perhaps with a giant leap), my story prepares to take flight...
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 RUSSELL PRIZE FOR HUMOUR WRITING
SHORTLISTED FOR THE UST GLENDA ADAMS AWARD FOR NEW WRITING (2019 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS)
SHORTLISTED FOR THE READINGS PRIZE FOR NEW AUSTRALIAN FICTION 2018
LONGLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2019
LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2018
About the author
Tracy Sorensen
4 books41 followersTracy Sorensen was an Australian novelist, filmmaker and academic.
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February 28, 2018
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If I awarded stars based purely on originality, I would easily allocate The Lucky Galah by debut author Tracy Sorensen five full stars. This unique and very Australian novel employs the use of an icon, the pink and grey galah, to narrate the events of this novel. An Australian novel through and through, The Lucky Galah offers up plenty of discussion on our land, its people and the events that define our existence.
The Lucky Galah bases itself in a tiny and remote north WA town in the 1960’s. The impending moon landing has everyone at fever pitch. At the centre of all the action is a magnificent satellite dish. This dish is to play a pivotal role in the transferring messages from the Houston to the Apollo, which is bound for the moon. Scientists and radar technicians such as Evan Johnson are also held captive by the amazing images beamed onto their consoles. While the local residents of the tiny town of Port Badminton congregate together at the old theatre, taking in the spectacular images of the moon landing. Observing all the action from afar is a gentle and perceptive galah named Lucky. It is Lucky who provides a unique take on one of mankind’s most significant and unforgettable steps.
The Lucky Galah, penned by first time author Tracy Sorensen, is one of the most original, fresh and quaint novels I have read for some time. I have to say despite suspending a small amount of disbelief, I adored the use of a non human central narrator. It worked very well in this novel and I was surprised that it never bordered on ridiculous. I can honestly say I will never look at a pink and grey galah with quite the same lens after reading this novel! It is perhaps an ambitious move to select a bird as a primary narrator, but Sorensen nails it. She manages to achieve a quiet balance between subtle insight and typical bird mannerisms, as well as inserting the behaviours that you easily come to expect from this kind of animal.
Despite the bulk of this novel being told through the wise eyes of Lucky the galah, expect to be drawn into the lives of those who surround Lucky. Evan Johnson and his wife Linda are beautifully rendered characters. There is also the wonderfully drawn Kelly family. Then there are the everyday characters that float through this text, who are both human and non human. In particular, I loved Lucky’s musings on his fellow kind.
Sorensen grounds her first novel firmly in the historical period of 1960’s Australia. This was a time of great change, revolution and radicalisation. Plenty of social and political movements were active during this time, which still manages to reach the remote town depicted in this book. Sorensen perfectly captures the building excitement and anticipation of the moon landing. She also presents a very nostalgic and quintessential glimpse into a typical outback town in the 1960’s. I enjoyed this flashback to Australia’s past very much.
Sorensen’s writing is lyrical and descriptive. I was swept away many times by her vivid descriptions of the landscape. Sorensen’s storytelling skills display her raw talent and aptitude for seeing things for an alternative point of view. The scenes where Lucky the galah receives messages from a satellite dish were a little eccentric to begin with, but once I got my head around it I seemed to embrace to idea, along with Lucky. I must also mention the direct references Sorensen makes to the classic 1964 novel, The Lucky Country, by Donald Horne, which is expertly weaved into the pages of this novel, with great care. It encouraged me to seek out a copy of The Lucky Country after reading this novel. Readers are left with a slightly open ending to this moving tale, begging them to consider their own fate and what is constitutes as being human. Big questions are raised by this thought provoking new author.
The rather unique approach of The Lucky Galah will be sure to grab many readers attention. Expect to be charmed by the vibrant Lucky the galah, by taking a full journey with this whimsical narrator. Fans of the classic Aussie film The Dish will be sure to appreciate this fine tale.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Lucky Galah is book #17 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
If I awarded stars based purely on originality, I would easily allocate The Lucky Galah by debut author Tracy Sorensen five full stars. This unique and very Australian novel employs the use of an icon, the pink and grey galah, to narrate the events of this novel. An Australian novel through and through, The Lucky Galah offers up plenty of discussion on our land, its people and the events that define our existence.
The Lucky Galah bases itself in a tiny and remote north WA town in the 1960’s. The impending moon landing has everyone at fever pitch. At the centre of all the action is a magnificent satellite dish. This dish is to play a pivotal role in the transferring messages from the Houston to the Apollo, which is bound for the moon. Scientists and radar technicians such as Evan Johnson are also held captive by the amazing images beamed onto their consoles. While the local residents of the tiny town of Port Badminton congregate together at the old theatre, taking in the spectacular images of the moon landing. Observing all the action from afar is a gentle and perceptive galah named Lucky. It is Lucky who provides a unique take on one of mankind’s most significant and unforgettable steps.
The Lucky Galah, penned by first time author Tracy Sorensen, is one of the most original, fresh and quaint novels I have read for some time. I have to say despite suspending a small amount of disbelief, I adored the use of a non human central narrator. It worked very well in this novel and I was surprised that it never bordered on ridiculous. I can honestly say I will never look at a pink and grey galah with quite the same lens after reading this novel! It is perhaps an ambitious move to select a bird as a primary narrator, but Sorensen nails it. She manages to achieve a quiet balance between subtle insight and typical bird mannerisms, as well as inserting the behaviours that you easily come to expect from this kind of animal.
Despite the bulk of this novel being told through the wise eyes of Lucky the galah, expect to be drawn into the lives of those who surround Lucky. Evan Johnson and his wife Linda are beautifully rendered characters. There is also the wonderfully drawn Kelly family. Then there are the everyday characters that float through this text, who are both human and non human. In particular, I loved Lucky’s musings on his fellow kind.
Sorensen grounds her first novel firmly in the historical period of 1960’s Australia. This was a time of great change, revolution and radicalisation. Plenty of social and political movements were active during this time, which still manages to reach the remote town depicted in this book. Sorensen perfectly captures the building excitement and anticipation of the moon landing. She also presents a very nostalgic and quintessential glimpse into a typical outback town in the 1960’s. I enjoyed this flashback to Australia’s past very much.
Sorensen’s writing is lyrical and descriptive. I was swept away many times by her vivid descriptions of the landscape. Sorensen’s storytelling skills display her raw talent and aptitude for seeing things for an alternative point of view. The scenes where Lucky the galah receives messages from a satellite dish were a little eccentric to begin with, but once I got my head around it I seemed to embrace to idea, along with Lucky. I must also mention the direct references Sorensen makes to the classic 1964 novel, The Lucky Country, by Donald Horne, which is expertly weaved into the pages of this novel, with great care. It encouraged me to seek out a copy of The Lucky Country after reading this novel. Readers are left with a slightly open ending to this moving tale, begging them to consider their own fate and what is constitutes as being human. Big questions are raised by this thought provoking new author.
The rather unique approach of The Lucky Galah will be sure to grab many readers attention. Expect to be charmed by the vibrant Lucky the galah, by taking a full journey with this whimsical narrator. Fans of the classic Aussie film The Dish will be sure to appreciate this fine tale.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Lucky Galah is book #17 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
June 19, 2023
3.5★
I read this book for three reasons
🦜It was part of a challenge I was doing in the BLK group.
🦜 It was available at my local library.
🦜 I loved the book cover.
I've always had a weakness for the colours pink & grey together & this is such a pretty bird!
The book itself I liked rather than loved for the most part - although I really enjoyed the parts told from the Galah's POV. And some scenes had a very authentic feel of small town Australia. But I did find the start a bit uninteresting and the ending a bit abrupt.
But many, many thumbs up for such an original premise!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
I read this book for three reasons
🦜It was part of a challenge I was doing in the BLK group.
🦜 It was available at my local library.
🦜 I loved the book cover.
I've always had a weakness for the colours pink & grey together & this is such a pretty bird!
The book itself I liked rather than loved for the most part - although I really enjoyed the parts told from the Galah's POV. And some scenes had a very authentic feel of small town Australia. But I did find the start a bit uninteresting and the ending a bit abrupt.
But many, many thumbs up for such an original premise!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
May 28, 2019
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 MILES FRANKLIN AWARD.
It is 1964 and The Federal Department of Supply manage to lure Evan Johnson away from his job in Melbourne where he works in an electrical company who make radio transistors for boats and planes. The persuade him to make, what at the time, was a long and arduous trip to Port Badminton in the north west of Australia, with the prospect of excellent pay and an extraordinary technological assignment, which we, in hindsight as the reader, know is the enormous satellite dish that is needed by the Americans to receive signals from their moon landing. Evan brings with him his twenty-three year old wife, Linda and their three year old daughter, Johanna.
They meet Lucky the galah who lends, her, yes her, Lucky is a lady, name to the title of the book, at a roadhouse not far from their destination. After a brief stop and rest we are enigmatically told by the narrator, as Evan hops back into the car, that he has five years, twenty weeks, thirteen hours, nine minutes and approximately twenty-two seconds to live.
Having your name as the title of the novel, you would expect Lucky to play an integral role to the narrative, and she does. Lucky has the job of tying all the smaller narratives that make up the entire story together and entertaining the reader. I admire the way Sorensen has written this novel. The narrative jumps back and forth in time and is seen from multiple character’s perspective. Sorensen will let a particular object, say a teapot, or book, carry over from one narrative into another, often being the focal point and at other times seemingly of no interest. This works extremely well, look for the innocent little diamante button.
She also populates this narrative with some wonderful characters. There is Dogger, who ekes out his existence as a shooter, who shoots anything that he can claim a bounty on, ranging from sharks to kangaroos. There is Dr Harry Baumgarten, the insect lover and birdwatcher, or entomologist and ornithologist, if you want to use the correct lingo, who is writing a book on insects and has come to Port Badminton to research the adult banana weevil.
I simply have to give this book 5 stars because I think it is so well written. It had me constantly going back to previous chapters to weave all the threads of the narrative together. Having said that, it’s not essential to do this, and it’s easy to keep track of the main storyline.
Skilfully written, rich characters, killer ending. 5 stars!
It is 1964 and The Federal Department of Supply manage to lure Evan Johnson away from his job in Melbourne where he works in an electrical company who make radio transistors for boats and planes. The persuade him to make, what at the time, was a long and arduous trip to Port Badminton in the north west of Australia, with the prospect of excellent pay and an extraordinary technological assignment, which we, in hindsight as the reader, know is the enormous satellite dish that is needed by the Americans to receive signals from their moon landing. Evan brings with him his twenty-three year old wife, Linda and their three year old daughter, Johanna.
They meet Lucky the galah who lends, her, yes her, Lucky is a lady, name to the title of the book, at a roadhouse not far from their destination. After a brief stop and rest we are enigmatically told by the narrator, as Evan hops back into the car, that he has five years, twenty weeks, thirteen hours, nine minutes and approximately twenty-two seconds to live.
Having your name as the title of the novel, you would expect Lucky to play an integral role to the narrative, and she does. Lucky has the job of tying all the smaller narratives that make up the entire story together and entertaining the reader. I admire the way Sorensen has written this novel. The narrative jumps back and forth in time and is seen from multiple character’s perspective. Sorensen will let a particular object, say a teapot, or book, carry over from one narrative into another, often being the focal point and at other times seemingly of no interest. This works extremely well, look for the innocent little diamante button.
She also populates this narrative with some wonderful characters. There is Dogger, who ekes out his existence as a shooter, who shoots anything that he can claim a bounty on, ranging from sharks to kangaroos. There is Dr Harry Baumgarten, the insect lover and birdwatcher, or entomologist and ornithologist, if you want to use the correct lingo, who is writing a book on insects and has come to Port Badminton to research the adult banana weevil.
I simply have to give this book 5 stars because I think it is so well written. It had me constantly going back to previous chapters to weave all the threads of the narrative together. Having said that, it’s not essential to do this, and it’s easy to keep track of the main storyline.
Skilfully written, rich characters, killer ending. 5 stars!
April 8, 2018
Evan and Linda Johnson and their young daughter Jo drove from Melbourne to the small town of Port Badminton in Western Australia for Evan to take up the position of radar technician, communicating between Apollo 11 and Houston, Texas. It was the 1960s and the Moon landing was imminent – the installation of the gigantic Dish caused great discussion among the residents…
The Johnson’s moved into a home two down from the Kelly family. The children would become great friends – Marjorie and Linda became unlikely friends. Enter “Cocky” when Kevin Kelly acquired the galah as a pet for his children. Caged and untended, Lucky began her narration of the life and perks of her humans and own flock high above. And Lucky discovered her communication with the Dish – something all galahs were able to do apparently.
As life moved inexorably toward events already written, Lucky continued to keep the readers up to date with the sometime hilarious, always insightful comments whilst drinking tea and eating biscuits with Lizzie 😊
What a quirky, original and fascinating novel by debut writer Tracy Sorensen! The Lucky Galah captivated me from the start to the finish with its complete difference. I loved Lucky as we discovered her (yes she’s a female!) life story from tiny chick to how she became part of Lizzie’s life. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Pan Macmillan AU for my ARC to read and review.
The Johnson’s moved into a home two down from the Kelly family. The children would become great friends – Marjorie and Linda became unlikely friends. Enter “Cocky” when Kevin Kelly acquired the galah as a pet for his children. Caged and untended, Lucky began her narration of the life and perks of her humans and own flock high above. And Lucky discovered her communication with the Dish – something all galahs were able to do apparently.
As life moved inexorably toward events already written, Lucky continued to keep the readers up to date with the sometime hilarious, always insightful comments whilst drinking tea and eating biscuits with Lizzie 😊
What a quirky, original and fascinating novel by debut writer Tracy Sorensen! The Lucky Galah captivated me from the start to the finish with its complete difference. I loved Lucky as we discovered her (yes she’s a female!) life story from tiny chick to how she became part of Lizzie’s life. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Pan Macmillan AU for my ARC to read and review.
July 15, 2019
My lasting impression of The Lucky Galah aside from the beautiful feathered cover is it's just a little bit tricksy for its own good. Luckily the parts narrated by the Galah do actually work, it's imaginative and endearing - not a word I have used in many book reviews recently. I assume the author studied plenty of Galah's in preparation for this novel. If only the Galah could have narrated the entire thing, I think I could have been more effusive about this book.
There are plenty of stylistic flourishes here I can imagine they teach aspiring novelists at writers retreats, edicts like : "there is no such thing as extraneous detail". Now, I would argue when your atmospheric details (such as characters going to the toilet) edge out plot, then you have a problem. I would also like to campaign for the return of a sequential timeline. For much of the later part of this novel I had no idea where we were in the space-time continuum. My only clue sometimes was to figure out who was looking after the Galah.
A particularly cumbersome example of trickiness was the communications between bird and satellite dish. I never really grasped how we were getting characters interior thoughts beamed via satellite and bird ?
What this book does do well is small town Australia circa 1969, all the quaintness of that era is fully rendered and together with all the Galah mischief it makes for a pleasant if not outstanding read.
There are plenty of stylistic flourishes here I can imagine they teach aspiring novelists at writers retreats, edicts like : "there is no such thing as extraneous detail". Now, I would argue when your atmospheric details (such as characters going to the toilet) edge out plot, then you have a problem. I would also like to campaign for the return of a sequential timeline. For much of the later part of this novel I had no idea where we were in the space-time continuum. My only clue sometimes was to figure out who was looking after the Galah.
A particularly cumbersome example of trickiness was the communications between bird and satellite dish. I never really grasped how we were getting characters interior thoughts beamed via satellite and bird ?
What this book does do well is small town Australia circa 1969, all the quaintness of that era is fully rendered and together with all the Galah mischief it makes for a pleasant if not outstanding read.
December 19, 2017
This was slightly better than its premise – a novel narrated by a galah. I did enjoy it but it never completely captured me and fell victim to detailed descriptions rather than driving plot.
May 2, 2021
4.5 ★s
The Lucky Galah is the first novel by Australian academic, journalist, film-maker and author, Tracy Sorensen. The audio version is read by Danielle Baynes. Lucky hadn’t been named until she was rescued from imminent death by Lizzie, who knew a lot about birds. And not long after that Lucky first received a transmission from the Dish, up there on the Red Range outside Port Badminton.
The Dish had been installed for transmissions during the forthcoming lunar landing, and years of preparation for this historic event were necessary. But it appeared to be receiving and recording not just from outer space. Lucky loves stories, and now she has one to tell; some of it gleaned from what she saw and heard from her cage near the Kelly’s outside toilet, at the back of their blue house in Clam Street, and some from data dumped by the Dish.
When Evan Johnson, his beautiful wife and sweet little daughter arrive in 1964 from chilly Melbourne, it’s like a summer holiday. Linda Johnson is enthusiastic about Evan’s new job at the Tracking Station and their relocation to Port Badminton, but that’s before the heat hits.
The daughter of a reffo and a commo, Linda spends energy just maintaining the façade of ‘normal’ (a wooden salad bowl with matching servers, café curtains, Tupperware, frilly tennis panties), and she’s popular with the other Tracker wives. But now: “…no fresh milk, no television, limited radio, nothing in the shops... no culture to speak of, the flies swarm over one’s face… the mosquitoes eat you alive…” she’s uncomfortable, unhappy and bored. Until, that is, entomologist and amateur ornithologist, Harry Baumgarten comes into town.
The narrative is split into two timeframes: the period between the Johnsons’ arrival in Port Badminton and Evan’s disappearance; and the present day. Overlooking Lucky’s dumps from the dish, the plot is easily believable and reaches a climax with a suitably delicious twist. The reader is aware from the beginning that Evan Johnson disappears into the sea at the Blowholes soon after the lunar landing; the how and why of it are gradually revealed.
Sorensen gives the reader a wonderful cast of characters, the likes of whom populate many a remote community. Quirks and flaws, but also caring and kindness are common among the townspeople. Certain personages are but thinly disguised, easily recognisable by their favourite phrases.
But Sorensen’s real expertise is in rendering the era: mentions of TV shows, food and drink, personalities, current affairs, children’s games, breakfast cereals, literature, movies and social attitudes, all these anchor the main tale firmly in the mid- to late-sixties. For readers of a certain vintage, this novel is a feast of nostalgia. It would make a wonderful movie or mini-series, especially in the hands of those who created the movie of Jasper Jones. An outstanding debut novel.
The Lucky Galah is the first novel by Australian academic, journalist, film-maker and author, Tracy Sorensen. The audio version is read by Danielle Baynes. Lucky hadn’t been named until she was rescued from imminent death by Lizzie, who knew a lot about birds. And not long after that Lucky first received a transmission from the Dish, up there on the Red Range outside Port Badminton.
The Dish had been installed for transmissions during the forthcoming lunar landing, and years of preparation for this historic event were necessary. But it appeared to be receiving and recording not just from outer space. Lucky loves stories, and now she has one to tell; some of it gleaned from what she saw and heard from her cage near the Kelly’s outside toilet, at the back of their blue house in Clam Street, and some from data dumped by the Dish.
When Evan Johnson, his beautiful wife and sweet little daughter arrive in 1964 from chilly Melbourne, it’s like a summer holiday. Linda Johnson is enthusiastic about Evan’s new job at the Tracking Station and their relocation to Port Badminton, but that’s before the heat hits.
The daughter of a reffo and a commo, Linda spends energy just maintaining the façade of ‘normal’ (a wooden salad bowl with matching servers, café curtains, Tupperware, frilly tennis panties), and she’s popular with the other Tracker wives. But now: “…no fresh milk, no television, limited radio, nothing in the shops... no culture to speak of, the flies swarm over one’s face… the mosquitoes eat you alive…” she’s uncomfortable, unhappy and bored. Until, that is, entomologist and amateur ornithologist, Harry Baumgarten comes into town.
The narrative is split into two timeframes: the period between the Johnsons’ arrival in Port Badminton and Evan’s disappearance; and the present day. Overlooking Lucky’s dumps from the dish, the plot is easily believable and reaches a climax with a suitably delicious twist. The reader is aware from the beginning that Evan Johnson disappears into the sea at the Blowholes soon after the lunar landing; the how and why of it are gradually revealed.
Sorensen gives the reader a wonderful cast of characters, the likes of whom populate many a remote community. Quirks and flaws, but also caring and kindness are common among the townspeople. Certain personages are but thinly disguised, easily recognisable by their favourite phrases.
But Sorensen’s real expertise is in rendering the era: mentions of TV shows, food and drink, personalities, current affairs, children’s games, breakfast cereals, literature, movies and social attitudes, all these anchor the main tale firmly in the mid- to late-sixties. For readers of a certain vintage, this novel is a feast of nostalgia. It would make a wonderful movie or mini-series, especially in the hands of those who created the movie of Jasper Jones. An outstanding debut novel.
March 11, 2018
4.5 ★s
The Lucky Galah is the first novel by Australian academic, journalist, film-maker and author, Tracy Sorensen. Lucky hadn’t been named until she was rescued from imminent death by Lizzie, who knew a lot about birds. And not long after that Lucky first received a transmission from the Dish, up there on the Red Range outside Port Badminton.
The Dish had been installed for transmissions during the forthcoming lunar landing, and years of preparation for this historic event were necessary. But it appeared to be receiving and recording not just from outer space. Lucky loves stories, and now she has one to tell; some of it gleaned from what she saw and heard from her cage near the Kelly’s outside toilet, at the back of their blue house in Clam Street, and some from data dumped by the Dish.
When Evan Johnson, his beautiful wife and sweet little daughter arrive in 1964 from chilly Melbourne, it’s like a summer holiday. Linda Johnson is enthusiastic about Evan’s new job at the Tracking Station and their relocation to Port Badminton, but that’s before the heat hits.
The daughter of a reffo and a commo, Linda spends energy just maintaining the façade of ‘normal’ (a wooden salad bowl with matching servers, café curtains, Tupperware, frilly tennis panties), and she’s popular with the other Tracker wives. But now: “…no fresh milk, no television, limited radio, nothing in the shops... no culture to speak of, the flies swarm over one’s face… the mosquitoes eat you alive…” she’s uncomfortable, unhappy and bored. Until, that is, entomologist and amateur ornithologist, Harry Baumgarten comes into town.
The narrative is split into two timeframes: the period between the Johnsons’ arrival in Port Badminton and Evan’s disappearance; and the present day. Overlooking Lucky’s dumps from the dish, the plot is easily believable and reaches a climax with a suitably delicious twist. The reader is aware from the beginning that Evan Johnson disappears into the sea at the Blowholes soon after the lunar landing; the how and why of it are gradually revealed.
Sorensen gives the reader a wonderful cast of characters, the likes of whom populate many a remote community. Quirks and flaws, but also caring and kindness are common among the townspeople. Certain personages are but thinly disguised, easily recognisable by their favourite phrases.
But Sorensen’s real expertise is in rendering the era: mentions of TV shows, food and drink, personalities, current affairs, children’s games, breakfast cereals, literature, movies and social attitudes, all these anchor the main tale firmly in the mid- to late-sixties. For readers of a certain vintage, this novel is a feast of nostalgia. It would make a wonderful movie or mini-series, especially in the hands of those who created the movie of Jasper Jones. An outstanding debut novel.
The Lucky Galah is the first novel by Australian academic, journalist, film-maker and author, Tracy Sorensen. Lucky hadn’t been named until she was rescued from imminent death by Lizzie, who knew a lot about birds. And not long after that Lucky first received a transmission from the Dish, up there on the Red Range outside Port Badminton.
The Dish had been installed for transmissions during the forthcoming lunar landing, and years of preparation for this historic event were necessary. But it appeared to be receiving and recording not just from outer space. Lucky loves stories, and now she has one to tell; some of it gleaned from what she saw and heard from her cage near the Kelly’s outside toilet, at the back of their blue house in Clam Street, and some from data dumped by the Dish.
When Evan Johnson, his beautiful wife and sweet little daughter arrive in 1964 from chilly Melbourne, it’s like a summer holiday. Linda Johnson is enthusiastic about Evan’s new job at the Tracking Station and their relocation to Port Badminton, but that’s before the heat hits.
The daughter of a reffo and a commo, Linda spends energy just maintaining the façade of ‘normal’ (a wooden salad bowl with matching servers, café curtains, Tupperware, frilly tennis panties), and she’s popular with the other Tracker wives. But now: “…no fresh milk, no television, limited radio, nothing in the shops... no culture to speak of, the flies swarm over one’s face… the mosquitoes eat you alive…” she’s uncomfortable, unhappy and bored. Until, that is, entomologist and amateur ornithologist, Harry Baumgarten comes into town.
The narrative is split into two timeframes: the period between the Johnsons’ arrival in Port Badminton and Evan’s disappearance; and the present day. Overlooking Lucky’s dumps from the dish, the plot is easily believable and reaches a climax with a suitably delicious twist. The reader is aware from the beginning that Evan Johnson disappears into the sea at the Blowholes soon after the lunar landing; the how and why of it are gradually revealed.
Sorensen gives the reader a wonderful cast of characters, the likes of whom populate many a remote community. Quirks and flaws, but also caring and kindness are common among the townspeople. Certain personages are but thinly disguised, easily recognisable by their favourite phrases.
But Sorensen’s real expertise is in rendering the era: mentions of TV shows, food and drink, personalities, current affairs, children’s games, breakfast cereals, literature, movies and social attitudes, all these anchor the main tale firmly in the mid- to late-sixties. For readers of a certain vintage, this novel is a feast of nostalgia. It would make a wonderful movie or mini-series, especially in the hands of those who created the movie of Jasper Jones. An outstanding debut novel.
February 26, 2018
It’s no great secret that I am a fan of overtly Australian novels, especially the ones set in small communities. I love the unique Aussie references and familiar slang, and what many often peg as cliché, I tend to adore. The Lucky Galah was a treat from beginning to end for me. A truly delightful slice of Aussie life from days gone by. Tracy Sorensen has done a splendid job of creating a trip down memory lane for all of the 60s, 70s and 80s children within us. There were so many moments of, “I remember those” and “I used to do that” and “when did they disappear?” – the nostalgia was ripe for the picking! And I loved that about this novel. It’s very character and lifestyle driven, and while it might have been low on action, it was rich in quaint detail and emotional depth.
The Lucky Galah is entirely unique. It’s narrated by a galah, so, that’s a given. Lucky has not always been all that lucky, and over the course of the novel, she tells the story of how she went from an unlucky start to her current lucky life. It’s funny, nostalgic, a little bit sad and always engaging, and right the way through, you are always conscious that it is a galah telling this story, not a person. Very clever on the part of Tracy Sorensen, to bequest upon a bird such a realistic personality. Lucky is a bit of a possessive galah with a jealous streak and a leaning towards vanity. She’s frustrated by her inability to vocalise all of her internal dialogue and longs to be ‘one of the girls’. She has a few compulsion issues, acts before she thinks, but she loves fiercely and is as smart as she is sassy. And she knows everything about everyone. Which is why her story is such an interesting one to behold.
The Lucky Galah is filled to the brim with social discourse, gossip, scandal, and a ground breaking world event, all playing out against a background of a society on the cusp of change. And of course, one pink and grey bird who has a yearning to tell a story at the helm of it all. Many threads are unravelled throughout the telling, but rest assured, they all tie neatly back together by the end. I think this is a wonderful novel, truly delightful and incredibly insightful. Human nature under a microscope with a running commentary from a galah – you can’t get more authentically Australian than that.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Lucky Galah for review.
The Lucky Galah is entirely unique. It’s narrated by a galah, so, that’s a given. Lucky has not always been all that lucky, and over the course of the novel, she tells the story of how she went from an unlucky start to her current lucky life. It’s funny, nostalgic, a little bit sad and always engaging, and right the way through, you are always conscious that it is a galah telling this story, not a person. Very clever on the part of Tracy Sorensen, to bequest upon a bird such a realistic personality. Lucky is a bit of a possessive galah with a jealous streak and a leaning towards vanity. She’s frustrated by her inability to vocalise all of her internal dialogue and longs to be ‘one of the girls’. She has a few compulsion issues, acts before she thinks, but she loves fiercely and is as smart as she is sassy. And she knows everything about everyone. Which is why her story is such an interesting one to behold.
The Lucky Galah is filled to the brim with social discourse, gossip, scandal, and a ground breaking world event, all playing out against a background of a society on the cusp of change. And of course, one pink and grey bird who has a yearning to tell a story at the helm of it all. Many threads are unravelled throughout the telling, but rest assured, they all tie neatly back together by the end. I think this is a wonderful novel, truly delightful and incredibly insightful. Human nature under a microscope with a running commentary from a galah – you can’t get more authentically Australian than that.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Lucky Galah for review.
April 17, 2018
3.5 stars
The Lucky Galah is true blue Aussie storytelling by Tracy Sorensen and narrated by no other than a galah called Lucky. Galahs are a highly intelligent, social and highly adaptable animal, is it any wonder the author chose a galah to narrate this tale!
There are three birds I find truly captivating, - the kookaburra, the emu and the galah and they are as Aussie and unique as the ‘EH holden’, ‘milk arrowroot biscuits’ and ‘vegemite’. The reader will find many more Aussie references inside the pages of this engaging and charming novel.
#Book Bingo 2018: ‘A book with non-human characters’ - The Lucky Galah by Tracy Sorensen
The Lucky Galah is true blue Aussie storytelling by Tracy Sorensen and narrated by no other than a galah called Lucky. Galahs are a highly intelligent, social and highly adaptable animal, is it any wonder the author chose a galah to narrate this tale!
There are three birds I find truly captivating, - the kookaburra, the emu and the galah and they are as Aussie and unique as the ‘EH holden’, ‘milk arrowroot biscuits’ and ‘vegemite’. The reader will find many more Aussie references inside the pages of this engaging and charming novel.
#Book Bingo 2018: ‘A book with non-human characters’ - The Lucky Galah by Tracy Sorensen
January 7, 2024
I was not a fan, and think I must have missed something after seeing some of the other ratings and reviews. For me, the plot fell short and there was a lot of nothing padding out the storyline. Some of the descriptive narrative was enjoyable and the Galah was quite a character but apart from that it held little appeal.
February 26, 2026
An interesting historical fiction narrative, told from the perspective of a perceptive galah.
April 27, 2018
It is impossible for me to be objective in this review because it is set so close to home that it is not funny. I picked up this book for the pink & grey on the jacket (I know!, "don't judge a book by its cover") and the back flap alluded to West Australia's role in the space race and that was familiar territory too.
I was floored to realise this was set in Carnarvon, a small North West Australian town I spent much of my childhood in, with the book exchange that my Mother, established in the late 1970's within the first 20 pages. This book takes me back! Even with literary licence, some legal name changes and a few stretches of chronological accuracy, I can see it all as clear as day; and I have been in Tasmanian of 20 years now, and not seen Carnarvon since 1982. To think I picked it up because I have had Galahs in my life and seeing it was somewhere in Northern WA I though I would relate to the story. Was I in for a pleasant shock.
The red (bull) dust, the harsh scrubby landscape of the Pilbara area of WA, and the rugged coast were seminal and will be easily recognisable to anyone familiar with that part of WA; But it was the specifics of the town and some of its notable landmarks that were immediate hooks for me having lived there.
Then more so than (but still) now, that small community has a feel of Happy Valley colonialism where everyone knows everyone and has already made a judged opinion, are far from the madding crowd but also far from civilization and culture. Racism and classism are so embedded in everyday life that they are absorbed and parroted from an early age, but may lose some of the more overt effects that those "-isms" can have on a society because of their isolation from the rest of the world.
This small community context is not dissimilar to any small community fulfilling that need for any reader, and the WA setting and use of colloquial language give the novel a great Australian feel.
I had a very real and visceral reaction to reading this, and the poignant recognition allowed me to understand on auto pilot a lot that may be lost to someone less familiar with the language and cultural norms of Northern WA in the '60 and '70s.
I was floored to realise this was set in Carnarvon, a small North West Australian town I spent much of my childhood in, with the book exchange that my Mother, established in the late 1970's within the first 20 pages. This book takes me back! Even with literary licence, some legal name changes and a few stretches of chronological accuracy, I can see it all as clear as day; and I have been in Tasmanian of 20 years now, and not seen Carnarvon since 1982. To think I picked it up because I have had Galahs in my life and seeing it was somewhere in Northern WA I though I would relate to the story. Was I in for a pleasant shock.
The red (bull) dust, the harsh scrubby landscape of the Pilbara area of WA, and the rugged coast were seminal and will be easily recognisable to anyone familiar with that part of WA; But it was the specifics of the town and some of its notable landmarks that were immediate hooks for me having lived there.
Then more so than (but still) now, that small community has a feel of Happy Valley colonialism where everyone knows everyone and has already made a judged opinion, are far from the madding crowd but also far from civilization and culture. Racism and classism are so embedded in everyday life that they are absorbed and parroted from an early age, but may lose some of the more overt effects that those "-isms" can have on a society because of their isolation from the rest of the world.
This small community context is not dissimilar to any small community fulfilling that need for any reader, and the WA setting and use of colloquial language give the novel a great Australian feel.
I had a very real and visceral reaction to reading this, and the poignant recognition allowed me to understand on auto pilot a lot that may be lost to someone less familiar with the language and cultural norms of Northern WA in the '60 and '70s.
February 10, 2019
Tracey Sorensen’s
The Lucky Galah
is a quirky, original novel which put me in mind of the film adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s novel The Dressmaker.
The reminiscences of country life in 1960s Australia were appealing as were the typically ‘Australian’ characters like Dogger the dingo shooter who appreciates that “some creatures are lucky and some are not, and that this can change at the drop of a hat.” p101. The ways in which characters respond to the good or bad luck they have bestowed on them is a theme of the novel and on a broader scale, how will the town of Port Badminton embrace or squander its good luck in being chosen as a tracking station for the 1969 moon landing?
I found the parts of the story dealing with Lucky’s ability to communicate with the Dish not at all convincing; they prevented me from enjoying the novel more and are the main reason for my below par rating.
2.5 stars
The reminiscences of country life in 1960s Australia were appealing as were the typically ‘Australian’ characters like Dogger the dingo shooter who appreciates that “some creatures are lucky and some are not, and that this can change at the drop of a hat.” p101. The ways in which characters respond to the good or bad luck they have bestowed on them is a theme of the novel and on a broader scale, how will the town of Port Badminton embrace or squander its good luck in being chosen as a tracking station for the 1969 moon landing?
I found the parts of the story dealing with Lucky’s ability to communicate with the Dish not at all convincing; they prevented me from enjoying the novel more and are the main reason for my below par rating.
2.5 stars
December 3, 2018
This was an unusual book, which is hardly surprising given its avian narrator. The premise of the galah as narrator works surprisingly well, though I wasn't so sure about the Dish's transmissions to the galah.
The book is driven much more by exploration of its characters than an action-packed plot. This isn't a criticism, as the characters are well-drawn and believable. It does mean the story is a bit slow moving at times.
The historical setting at the time of the moon landing is fascinating. I liked how the author captured life in a remote Australian town in the late 60s, particularly the lives of women.
The book is driven much more by exploration of its characters than an action-packed plot. This isn't a criticism, as the characters are well-drawn and believable. It does mean the story is a bit slow moving at times.
The historical setting at the time of the moon landing is fascinating. I liked how the author captured life in a remote Australian town in the late 60s, particularly the lives of women.
September 29, 2019
Simply brilliant! A beautifully written book that gives insight into the lives of families in 1960s remote WA town during the space race. The best part - the unreliable galah narrator, Lucky.
This is the most self aware and fabulous bird, who hears the stories of the people and birds around her, and yearns.
"I have a place at the table. A cup of tea. A biscuit. A Moon Ball gown. I could swoon. I let out a happy double chirrup".
A truly different voice that takes you back to the challenges, unseen unmet needs and lives of Aussie people in the 60's.
This is the most self aware and fabulous bird, who hears the stories of the people and birds around her, and yearns.
"I have a place at the table. A cup of tea. A biscuit. A Moon Ball gown. I could swoon. I let out a happy double chirrup".
A truly different voice that takes you back to the challenges, unseen unmet needs and lives of Aussie people in the 60's.
August 14, 2018
In so many ways this book was made for me - Aussie fiction, narrated by a galah, lots of bird content, the space race etc - but I never really bought into the conceit. It's a brave choice to have a galah narrator who gets information beamed to its brain from the local satellite dish and I found the whole setup a bit too convoluted to really get into.
December 19, 2017
This is a beautiful read - cleverly structured, the story draws you in immediately. Highly recommend
August 4, 2019
So glad I read this lighthearted novel, so of its time and place. I knew these people and this town!
Such well drawn characters, and why not have a narrator of a galah?
Such well drawn characters, and why not have a narrator of a galah?
March 11, 2018
It’s no secret that I adore birds. So when I first heard about The Lucky Galah, I was desperate to read it. I have a multi-generational family of these beautiful pink and grey cockatoos that visit regularly and reading about them just sounded like so much fun! The added bonus of this story is that it’s set in an area I’m familiar with, north west coastal Western Australia. The fictional town of Port Badminton is a close ringer for the town of Carnarvon, dish and all. But in the 1960s, many things are happening in this small town…
Lucky tells us the story, switching between the 1960s (an unhappy time for her, caged and unloved in a backyard) and present day. Lucky notes that her life is much happier now, selecting books to rip up with human companion Lizzie. She’s free to move about and be a true companion. Lucky’s a very smart bird, noting that her rise to freedom starts just as Evan Johnson, radar technician, begins to fall… The Johnsons are the key characters of the story, moving from Melbourne to Port Badminton so Evan can work on the dish that will be receiving signals for the moon landing when it happens. While Evan is happy, it’s a culture shock for wife Linda. She’s a fish out of water in this town that is rather frontier like in its manners and customs; plus it’s just too hot! Linda’s not sure if she’s happy to settle to be just Mrs Johnson or whether something more could be lurking across the Causeway.
Lucky sees it all from her home at the Kelly’s (next door but one). The Kelly family is completely different to the Johnsons – loud with children and no airs or graces. But are Marj and Kevin truly happy with their lot too? Lucky sees it, and as she grows wiser can hear the transmissions from the satellite dish on the edge of town. Later, she can interpret these thoughts and this is the clever way that the reader gets into the heads of Linda, Evan, Marj, Kevin and others. While Port Badminton is a small town in the middle of nowhere, it’s never dull. The threads of different people come into Lucky’s sphere and she tells parts of their stories, focusing on the feelings and descriptions.
The overall plot of the book is the build up to the moon landing, but it’s not really the focus. It’s the objective that most of the characters orbit around, but there are some like the Dogger who prefer to make their own tracks. Evan is a slave to his work, distracted and rarely taking his eyes off the task. Linda wants to break out of the mould, but isn’t quite strong enough to make a clean break. Poor Lucky doesn’t have a choice at all and I found these descriptions quite upsetting as a bird lover! Tracy Sorensen really gets into Lucky’s head and I could both believe and accept that this novel was being narrated by a galah. Lucky, you can have tea and a biscuit with me any time!
The description in The Lucky Galah is also spot on. The scenes of the hot, dusty streets and the roaring of the cyclonic winds are just perfect. It truly evokes memories of that area just above the 26th parallel from the jetty to the river. Overall, I really enjoyed this book because of Lucky and the setting. It seems strange to have a bird narrator, but it worked perfectly for me.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Lucky tells us the story, switching between the 1960s (an unhappy time for her, caged and unloved in a backyard) and present day. Lucky notes that her life is much happier now, selecting books to rip up with human companion Lizzie. She’s free to move about and be a true companion. Lucky’s a very smart bird, noting that her rise to freedom starts just as Evan Johnson, radar technician, begins to fall… The Johnsons are the key characters of the story, moving from Melbourne to Port Badminton so Evan can work on the dish that will be receiving signals for the moon landing when it happens. While Evan is happy, it’s a culture shock for wife Linda. She’s a fish out of water in this town that is rather frontier like in its manners and customs; plus it’s just too hot! Linda’s not sure if she’s happy to settle to be just Mrs Johnson or whether something more could be lurking across the Causeway.
Lucky sees it all from her home at the Kelly’s (next door but one). The Kelly family is completely different to the Johnsons – loud with children and no airs or graces. But are Marj and Kevin truly happy with their lot too? Lucky sees it, and as she grows wiser can hear the transmissions from the satellite dish on the edge of town. Later, she can interpret these thoughts and this is the clever way that the reader gets into the heads of Linda, Evan, Marj, Kevin and others. While Port Badminton is a small town in the middle of nowhere, it’s never dull. The threads of different people come into Lucky’s sphere and she tells parts of their stories, focusing on the feelings and descriptions.
The overall plot of the book is the build up to the moon landing, but it’s not really the focus. It’s the objective that most of the characters orbit around, but there are some like the Dogger who prefer to make their own tracks. Evan is a slave to his work, distracted and rarely taking his eyes off the task. Linda wants to break out of the mould, but isn’t quite strong enough to make a clean break. Poor Lucky doesn’t have a choice at all and I found these descriptions quite upsetting as a bird lover! Tracy Sorensen really gets into Lucky’s head and I could both believe and accept that this novel was being narrated by a galah. Lucky, you can have tea and a biscuit with me any time!
The description in The Lucky Galah is also spot on. The scenes of the hot, dusty streets and the roaring of the cyclonic winds are just perfect. It truly evokes memories of that area just above the 26th parallel from the jetty to the river. Overall, I really enjoyed this book because of Lucky and the setting. It seems strange to have a bird narrator, but it worked perfectly for me.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
June 2, 2019
A fresh, quirky novel. Many little flights of fancy set in the bright sunlight of a small town on the cyclone prone WA coast.
One small step for a pet Galah narrating 1960s small coastal town Australia and the human Galahs he observes. Particularly noting 'the trackers', who operate 'The Dish', and their small but essential contribution to the moon landing.
Delightfully nostalgic.
A worthy addition to the 2019 Miles Franklin Long-list. Not sure if it will make it through to the short-list but very pleased to have read it.
It will be interesting to see what this author comes up with next.
One small step for a pet Galah narrating 1960s small coastal town Australia and the human Galahs he observes. Particularly noting 'the trackers', who operate 'The Dish', and their small but essential contribution to the moon landing.
Delightfully nostalgic.
A worthy addition to the 2019 Miles Franklin Long-list. Not sure if it will make it through to the short-list but very pleased to have read it.
It will be interesting to see what this author comes up with next.
February 28, 2020
The Lucky Galah strongly evoked a sense of time and place for me. In this remote West Australian location, predominantly set around 1968, I was immersed in the community which included a collection of long time locals and the more recent ‘dish operator’ families. I also enjoyed the quirkinesses of a galah narrator but didn’t really feel the dish was successful in the same way.
January 19, 2019
And now ladies and gentlemen, for something a little bit different, a novel narrated by a Galah. The title caught my attention and then the quirky plot made me read it. For a variety of reasons I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would have.
February 13, 2019
An enjoyable light read of people’s lives in a small W. A. town ......uniquely told by a galah.
November 18, 2022
I enjoyed this. Before reading I was doubtful about it being narrated by a galah but it worked well.
May 6, 2018
Among those of us of a certain age, ‘lucky’ is a loaded word when applied to a book title. Since Donald Horne published The Lucky Country in 1964, taking Australians to task for their philistinism, provincialism and mediocrity, its ironic title has resonated with all those who yearn for a more imaginative, independent and outward-looking nation. (Just tonight, the ABC filed a report on the woeful state of innovation in Australian business and manufacturing). Rosa Cappiello riffed on Horne’s title in her novel Oh, Lucky Country! (see my review) and Donald Horne, frustrated by the wilful misreading of his title, wrote a follow-up called Death of the Lucky Country.
Tracy Sorensen’s debut novel is set in 1969 in a remote WA coastal town that both conforms to and defies Horne’s criticisms. It’s where a satellite dish is set up to capture signals from Apollo 11 and Texas, and you can’t get more outward-looking than space, but with one ill-fitting exception, (the outsider Harry Baumgarten), the characters and their preoccupations are distinctly philistine, provincial and mediocre, except for their talent at improvisation. The novel could be a fictional exploration of Horne’s critique…except that it’s narrated by a galah.
I like experiments with narration but there are certain kinds of narrators that I dislike: dead children, dead bodies, and any character that whines. So I didn’t have a predisposition to dislike a narrator that’s a galah. It’s a dislike that grew on me as I read the book. Ultimately it seemed a pointless device, its only merit being a not very convincing and sometimes irrelevant ability to capture the signals between the satellite dish, allowing the galah to receive insights from everyone in the town. However, since the quirkiness of this narration may appeal to some readers, I shall set that aside and focus on the story.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/05/06/t...
Tracy Sorensen’s debut novel is set in 1969 in a remote WA coastal town that both conforms to and defies Horne’s criticisms. It’s where a satellite dish is set up to capture signals from Apollo 11 and Texas, and you can’t get more outward-looking than space, but with one ill-fitting exception, (the outsider Harry Baumgarten), the characters and their preoccupations are distinctly philistine, provincial and mediocre, except for their talent at improvisation. The novel could be a fictional exploration of Horne’s critique…except that it’s narrated by a galah.
I like experiments with narration but there are certain kinds of narrators that I dislike: dead children, dead bodies, and any character that whines. So I didn’t have a predisposition to dislike a narrator that’s a galah. It’s a dislike that grew on me as I read the book. Ultimately it seemed a pointless device, its only merit being a not very convincing and sometimes irrelevant ability to capture the signals between the satellite dish, allowing the galah to receive insights from everyone in the town. However, since the quirkiness of this narration may appeal to some readers, I shall set that aside and focus on the story.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/05/06/t...
October 8, 2018
This was a nice, relatively easy read - set in Western Australia during the 1960s in the lead up to the moon landing, Lucky the galah (a pet galah who intercepts messages and other people's thoughts through the town's satellite dish, being used for communications with Houston) narrates closely the stories of two families, their feelings, affairs, life in general, etc. I liked some of the overall nostalgia in the book but overall wasn't convinced by the necessity of the galah narrator (nor by its ability to intercept messages)- it felt a bit underdeveloped to me, and more exploration of the galah's own point of view could have made it more interesting (rather than mostly focusing on the families). That said I expect many readers won't be bothered by that and instead will be able to enjoy the quirkiness of the idea of pet describing the lives of the people that surround it.
December 28, 2019
The concept of a galah's POV isn't something I was drawn to but once I picked this book up I fell in love. Beautiful characters, lovingly observed against the back drop of the moon landing. The humanity of the protagonists is rendered with great kindness. I wish everyone would read it.
January 21, 2018
I loved this book! So fresh and original with relatable characters and a story that flowed perfectly. I read it in a day, couldn’t put it down.
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