What do you think?
Rate this book
Corporal Hitler’s Pistol: Winner of the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize
How did Corporal Hitler's Luger from the First World War end up being the weapon that killed an IRA turncoat in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1933?
When an affluent Kempsey matron spots a young Aboriginal boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband, not only does she scream for divorce, attempt to take control of the child’s future and upend her comfortable life, but the whole town seems drawn into chaos.
A hero of the First World War has a fit at the cinema and is taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney, his Irish farmhand is murdered, and a gay piano-playing veteran, quietly a friend to many in town, is implicated.
Corporal Hitler's Pistol speaks to the never-ending war that began with 'the war to end all wars'. Rural communities have always been a melting pot and many are happy to accept a diverse bunch … as long as they don’t overstep. Set in a town he knows very well, in this novel Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.
When an affluent Kempsey matron spots a young Aboriginal boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband, not only does she scream for divorce, attempt to take control of the child’s future and upend her comfortable life, but the whole town seems drawn into chaos.
A hero of the First World War has a fit at the cinema and is taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney, his Irish farmhand is murdered, and a gay piano-playing veteran, quietly a friend to many in town, is implicated.
Corporal Hitler's Pistol speaks to the never-ending war that began with 'the war to end all wars'. Rural communities have always been a melting pot and many are happy to accept a diverse bunch … as long as they don’t overstep. Set in a town he knows very well, in this novel Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2021
25 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Tom Keneally
33 books72 followersSee Thomas Keneally
Thomas Keneally was born in 1935 and his first novel was published in 1964. Since then he has written a considerable number of novels and non-fiction works. His novels include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Schindler's List and The People's Train. He has won the Miles Franklin Award, the Booker Prize, the Los Angeles Times Prize, the Mondello International Prize and has been made a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library, a Fellow of the American Academy, recipient of the University of California gold medal, and is now the subject of a 55 cent Australian stamp.
He has held various academic posts in the United States, but lives in Sydney.
Thomas Keneally was born in 1935 and his first novel was published in 1964. Since then he has written a considerable number of novels and non-fiction works. His novels include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Schindler's List and The People's Train. He has won the Miles Franklin Award, the Booker Prize, the Los Angeles Times Prize, the Mondello International Prize and has been made a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library, a Fellow of the American Academy, recipient of the University of California gold medal, and is now the subject of a 55 cent Australian stamp.
He has held various academic posts in the United States, but lives in Sydney.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 16, 2021
As only Thomas Keneally can, history and fiction are woven together in this wonderful yarn. Corporal Hitler’s Pistol is the story of how a luger from the First World War is the key to unfolding events in Australia of 1933. At its heart, this is a story of small-town Australia as an emblematic narrative of the hypocrisy of egalitarian Australia. Told with typical Keneally style and rich characterizations, the treatment of our indigenous peoples and of women, and sexual choices are laid bare for all to see. Moving flawlessly back and forward in time, the narrative reveals a richness of the diversity of individuals and their need to be their authentic selves. This delightful fable makes for a four-and-a-half-star rating and a joy of a read.
February 5, 2022
From its curious title to the arresting cover design, Tom Keneally's latest novel is sure to attract attention. The cover of Corporal Hitler's Pistol features Smith Street in Kempsey (a real town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales), where the story is mostly set, and the image comes from the NSW State Archives where you can see that the (undated) original does not have that striking image of a smartly dressed woman standing all alone in a road largely empty of cars. The novel is set in the interwar years, and that superimposed image alludes to Florence (Flo) Honeywood, wife of the eminent master builder Burley Honeywood.
It is 1933 as the Depression is starting to impact on the fortunes of many, when Flo makes an unpalatable discovery. In town, she sees a dark-skinned boy called Eddie Kelly who bears a marked resemblance to her husband, and she is outraged. Not just by Burley's adultery, and not just because it both pre-and post-dated their marriage, but also because she learns that Burley is not the only townsman who visits Burnt Bridge looking for skirt whether the Aboriginal women agree to it or not. Flo is livid with Burley, but she is also outraged that the child's prospects are so different from Burley's other children. In her ham-fisted but courageous way, she barges past the racism of the shop and the school and tries to kit him out in school uniform for the local school and makes plans to send him to the same prestigious school in Sydney that her son goes to. She does not understand that these are not her decisions to make, and her actions bewilder Eddie's Aboriginal guardian but she is motivated by a desire to improve his life (as she judges it). In the process she scandalises the town by taking coffee with Eddie Kelly's aunt Alice in the local café, and what's more, she sets up a meeting with Alice under the auspices of Chicken Dalton, the openly gay pianist at the local picture theatre.
Flo and her shocking troubles when Burley reacts to her assertive demand for a divorce is one strand in a many layered novel.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/02/02/c...
It is 1933 as the Depression is starting to impact on the fortunes of many, when Flo makes an unpalatable discovery. In town, she sees a dark-skinned boy called Eddie Kelly who bears a marked resemblance to her husband, and she is outraged. Not just by Burley's adultery, and not just because it both pre-and post-dated their marriage, but also because she learns that Burley is not the only townsman who visits Burnt Bridge looking for skirt whether the Aboriginal women agree to it or not. Flo is livid with Burley, but she is also outraged that the child's prospects are so different from Burley's other children. In her ham-fisted but courageous way, she barges past the racism of the shop and the school and tries to kit him out in school uniform for the local school and makes plans to send him to the same prestigious school in Sydney that her son goes to. She does not understand that these are not her decisions to make, and her actions bewilder Eddie's Aboriginal guardian but she is motivated by a desire to improve his life (as she judges it). In the process she scandalises the town by taking coffee with Eddie Kelly's aunt Alice in the local café, and what's more, she sets up a meeting with Alice under the auspices of Chicken Dalton, the openly gay pianist at the local picture theatre.
Flo and her shocking troubles when Burley reacts to her assertive demand for a divorce is one strand in a many layered novel.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/02/02/c...
November 13, 2021
This was an interesting account of life in 1930s Australia that also crossed over into scenes in Ireland and on the Western Front in 1917. Ultimately I found the story quite confusing and difficult to follow - I think the author has tried to weave too many world events and competing narratives into the text. The result is a novel that takes the reader on a confusing and somewhat laborious journey - I think if a simpler storyline had been used this may have been more engaging. I would give this 2.5 stars
March 8, 2022
‘Everyone was a beginner at death.’
Kempsey, NSW, in 1933 provides the setting for this novel. Flo Honeywood, wife of Burley Honeywood, a prominent master builder, is outraged to discover a young Aboriginal boy who resembles her husband. Flo’s investigations reveal that Burley is not the only man to visit the Aboriginal women at Burnt Bridge. Flo wants to ensure that Eddie Kelly, as the boy is known, receives an education. She wants to send him to the same school as her own son, but her sense of outraged justice does not consider Eddie’s life and family connections. And, when Flo decides that she wants to divorce Burley, she discovers that she really has no power at all.
Meanwhile, Bert Webber, a hero from the Great War has a very public breakdown at the picture theatre and is later taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney for treatment. His wife and children keep the dairy farm running, with the help of an Irish farmhand. But while Bert is still receiving treatment, his souvenir of the Great War, Corporal Hitler’s pistol, is used to murder his Irish farmhand.
Who murdered Johnny Costigan, and why? Suspicion almost immediately falls on ‘Chicken’ Dalton, the ‘town pansy’ who plays the piano at the picture theatre. The pistol is found at his place and that, together with the fact that he is gay, is enough to convict him (at least in the eyes of some of the police).
Johnny Costigan’s murder is one aspect of a complicated story, which also takes us back to Ireland in 1923. And really, what better way to wreak vengeance than by using Corporal Hitler’s pistol?
In this novel, Mr Keneally explores a range of issues including the complexity of relationships between black and white Australians, the treatment of homosexuals, the treatment of women who don’t conform and sectarianism. Bert, clearly suffering from PTSD, receives the best available (comparatively primitive) treatment available in Sydney, ‘Chicken’ Dalton is first tolerated and then ostracised, Flo finds herself fighting conservative male forces when her husband invokes both the law and medical opinion to thwart her desire for divorce.
And I finished the novel, wondering what progress has been made in the past (almost) 90 years on some of these issues.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Kempsey, NSW, in 1933 provides the setting for this novel. Flo Honeywood, wife of Burley Honeywood, a prominent master builder, is outraged to discover a young Aboriginal boy who resembles her husband. Flo’s investigations reveal that Burley is not the only man to visit the Aboriginal women at Burnt Bridge. Flo wants to ensure that Eddie Kelly, as the boy is known, receives an education. She wants to send him to the same school as her own son, but her sense of outraged justice does not consider Eddie’s life and family connections. And, when Flo decides that she wants to divorce Burley, she discovers that she really has no power at all.
Meanwhile, Bert Webber, a hero from the Great War has a very public breakdown at the picture theatre and is later taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney for treatment. His wife and children keep the dairy farm running, with the help of an Irish farmhand. But while Bert is still receiving treatment, his souvenir of the Great War, Corporal Hitler’s pistol, is used to murder his Irish farmhand.
Who murdered Johnny Costigan, and why? Suspicion almost immediately falls on ‘Chicken’ Dalton, the ‘town pansy’ who plays the piano at the picture theatre. The pistol is found at his place and that, together with the fact that he is gay, is enough to convict him (at least in the eyes of some of the police).
Johnny Costigan’s murder is one aspect of a complicated story, which also takes us back to Ireland in 1923. And really, what better way to wreak vengeance than by using Corporal Hitler’s pistol?
In this novel, Mr Keneally explores a range of issues including the complexity of relationships between black and white Australians, the treatment of homosexuals, the treatment of women who don’t conform and sectarianism. Bert, clearly suffering from PTSD, receives the best available (comparatively primitive) treatment available in Sydney, ‘Chicken’ Dalton is first tolerated and then ostracised, Flo finds herself fighting conservative male forces when her husband invokes both the law and medical opinion to thwart her desire for divorce.
And I finished the novel, wondering what progress has been made in the past (almost) 90 years on some of these issues.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 1, 2022
How did the pistol used by one Corporal Adolf Hitler in the battlefields of the Great War find its way to the country town of Kempsey, New South Wales, only to be used in a murder there.
Keneally weaves a truly remarkable story with believable characters that you come to know and like/dislike. The story highlights the attitudes that were prevalent in Australia at the time, especially with regards to women, Indigenous people and gays.
Keneally weaves a truly remarkable story with believable characters that you come to know and like/dislike. The story highlights the attitudes that were prevalent in Australia at the time, especially with regards to women, Indigenous people and gays.
November 18, 2021
Rather confusing and disjointed, jumping between Sydney, Kempsey, WW1 France and the troubles in Ireland.
July 7, 2023
This is my sixteenth Keneally book and there are still many more.
This is a special story for me as I lived in the town of Kempsey for twenty years and know the town and the surrounding Macleay Valley very well. Many of the citizens names are familiar names of Macleay families, even today. Kelly, Quinlan, Barsby are names one will find in both the black and white community.
I have often visited Chaddies the store that Keneally’s family owned and many of the locations are familiar to me.
This story is told in Keneally’s familiar style. There are many historical characters who although they are fictious would have been regularly found in Kempsey and the Macleay.
There are several plots that run through the story, but they all come together around a WW1 Luger pistol that is used in a shooting. This shooting takes place near the end of the story
Keneally deals with a number of historical themes and being the notable historian that he is there is a great deal of authenticity in the tales he tells. He mentions the hanging of William Moxley after a character in the story faces possible execution and sure enough William Moxley was hanged in 1933.
I thought Keneally’s Aboriginal characters were especially real and the treatment of Aborigines was an accurate account of those who lived on Burnt Bridge, Greenhills and Bellbrook missions. I can remember in the 1990s when there were efforts to have the shire council fly the aboriginal flag the reaction by some councillors, especially the Falstaffian real estate agents, was as if the world was about to end. It is a town with a racist past, but things have improved considerably.
Homosexuality is dealt with through the interactions of several gay characters, ‘Chicken’ the pianist at the local cinema and Christian, the son of a local war hero and owner of the eponymous pistol.Chicken is an intriguing character who I can definitely see in Kempsey in the 1930s as there were a number of high-profile gay men in Kempsey in the 1990s.
White men using Aboriginal women for sexual satisfaction is part of the story, as is domestic violence.
In the novel Keneally takes the reader back to the battle grounds of the Western Front and the viciousness of the Irish civil war. These recalls all lead to the final mystery murder.
The story behind the book’s title? That is told in detail in the story.
There are several interesting characters, scenes and subplots. Keneally is the master of the Australian story, and this book adds to that collection of accounts of Australian life.
This is a special story for me as I lived in the town of Kempsey for twenty years and know the town and the surrounding Macleay Valley very well. Many of the citizens names are familiar names of Macleay families, even today. Kelly, Quinlan, Barsby are names one will find in both the black and white community.
I have often visited Chaddies the store that Keneally’s family owned and many of the locations are familiar to me.
This story is told in Keneally’s familiar style. There are many historical characters who although they are fictious would have been regularly found in Kempsey and the Macleay.
There are several plots that run through the story, but they all come together around a WW1 Luger pistol that is used in a shooting. This shooting takes place near the end of the story
Keneally deals with a number of historical themes and being the notable historian that he is there is a great deal of authenticity in the tales he tells. He mentions the hanging of William Moxley after a character in the story faces possible execution and sure enough William Moxley was hanged in 1933.
I thought Keneally’s Aboriginal characters were especially real and the treatment of Aborigines was an accurate account of those who lived on Burnt Bridge, Greenhills and Bellbrook missions. I can remember in the 1990s when there were efforts to have the shire council fly the aboriginal flag the reaction by some councillors, especially the Falstaffian real estate agents, was as if the world was about to end. It is a town with a racist past, but things have improved considerably.
Homosexuality is dealt with through the interactions of several gay characters, ‘Chicken’ the pianist at the local cinema and Christian, the son of a local war hero and owner of the eponymous pistol.Chicken is an intriguing character who I can definitely see in Kempsey in the 1930s as there were a number of high-profile gay men in Kempsey in the 1990s.
White men using Aboriginal women for sexual satisfaction is part of the story, as is domestic violence.
In the novel Keneally takes the reader back to the battle grounds of the Western Front and the viciousness of the Irish civil war. These recalls all lead to the final mystery murder.
The story behind the book’s title? That is told in detail in the story.
There are several interesting characters, scenes and subplots. Keneally is the master of the Australian story, and this book adds to that collection of accounts of Australian life.
December 13, 2021
I’ve shelved this novel after 7 chapters. There are too many settings of time and place, and far too many characters.
I understand from other reviews that if one perseveres it will all tie in nicely near the end of the novel. But I just can’t enjoy picking this book up knowing that it’s going to continue in the same disjointed manner.
I understand from other reviews that if one perseveres it will all tie in nicely near the end of the novel. But I just can’t enjoy picking this book up knowing that it’s going to continue in the same disjointed manner.
January 5, 2022
I read this just because it was a Keneally, as usual I found myself immersed in the experience of time and place. Glad I read it but found it not the best example of a good Keneally, a couple of shortcuts to the plot which I found just a tad implausible, good read though.
October 6, 2021
Corporal Hitler’s Pistol is an engaging novel that tantalisingly plays with the notion that a pistol supposedly used by Adolf Hitler, is the cause of intrigue and drama in the regional town of Kempsey in the 1930s. Thomas Keneally creates characters with separate yet connected stories that are linked by an unknown historical event: the use of Hitler’s pistol from WWI. He relates these stories quite independently, yet engaging the reader with the circumstances as to how the themes ultimately bind together.
Little is presented about Hitler except for detail to give historical authenticity of his being.
The setting of Kempsey is indicative of Australia of the 1930s and illustrates parochialism, sectarianism, misogyny, social stratification, racism and homophobia. I did enjoy Tom Keneally’s use of Australian idioms and slang so typical of the time.
Woven into the story are unresolved issues around Irish nationalism, Irish Civil War and WWI trauma which played out among the protagonists.
I enjoyed the richness, suspense and anticipation in the novel even though I needed some time to digest all that was read.
Thomas Keneally brought the novel alive with the outstanding character development and unfolding stories.
At times the storyline became very difficult to follow, however the interest level was maintained and the ending was compelling which gave me an enriching reading experience.
Little is presented about Hitler except for detail to give historical authenticity of his being.
The setting of Kempsey is indicative of Australia of the 1930s and illustrates parochialism, sectarianism, misogyny, social stratification, racism and homophobia. I did enjoy Tom Keneally’s use of Australian idioms and slang so typical of the time.
Woven into the story are unresolved issues around Irish nationalism, Irish Civil War and WWI trauma which played out among the protagonists.
I enjoyed the richness, suspense and anticipation in the novel even though I needed some time to digest all that was read.
Thomas Keneally brought the novel alive with the outstanding character development and unfolding stories.
At times the storyline became very difficult to follow, however the interest level was maintained and the ending was compelling which gave me an enriching reading experience.
November 4, 2022
Tom Keneally certainly is an amazing writer. Set mainly in 1933 Kempsey, with flashbacks to 1922 Ireland and the trenches of WW1, Keneally perfectly captures country town thinking and post war traumas, prejudice against any non conformity, religion with its violence and strictures, women's place in society, and revenge. His characters: gay, female and indigenous are explored with confidence and complexity. He writes with convincing detail of their fashion, fears and desires, their place and view of the world. A very worthy 1st place winner in 2022 ARA Historical Novel prize. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-2...
October 25, 2021
I received a copy of Corporal Hitler's Pistol from Hachette Australia to review.
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weekly:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2021/10/25/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weekly:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2021/10/25/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
December 29, 2021
3.5* A complex, slow read exploring a small Australian town in the early 1930s and the events leading up to the main event of the book, which doesn’t occur till nearly 2/3 of the way into the story. The level of research and historical depth is astounding.
December 17, 2021
A beautifully written portrait of a town I know well, and an exploration of the post WW1 people who lived there. The Corporal Hitler's pistol angle is an immensely interesting accident of history, but it is not the sole concern of this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the book's gentle touch, even while exploring some hard issues, and the deep humanity of the author.
November 14, 2025
Another Keneally book about Kempsey, this one set in 1933. I loved this story because it brought together so many interesting aspects of Australian small town history - European migration, indigenous-white relations, the aftermath of the First World War, the rise of Hitler, small town bigotry against homosexuals and women, early twentieth century Irish history and its influence on Australia, the irony of Australian soldiers with German ancestry. In short it touches on so many issues that have been part of my own family story in Australia that at times I felt I was reading my own history. The tale of a murder and a gun is enough to grab your attention, and the injustice of the legal system in bringing the correct culprits to justice creates enough of a sense of outrage as to keep you turning to the last page. All in all a well told tale.
March 5, 2023
A great example of Tom Kenneally's skills blending fiction into actual places and times. Kempsey is now my local town so the places and names are familiar. He writes great characters. The ending somewhat fizzled out rather than reaching a crescendo.
October 30, 2021
Another engaging novel from master story teller Tom Keneally.
How did Corporal Hitler's Luger from the First World War end up being the weapon that killed an IRA turncoat in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1933? When an affluent Kempsey matron spots a young Aboriginal boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband, not only does she scream for divorce, attempt to take control of the child’s future and upend her comfortable life, but the whole town seems drawn into chaos. A hero of the First World War has a fit at the cinema and is taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney, his Irish farmhand is murdered, and a gay piano-playing veteran, quietly a friend to many in town, is implicated. Corporal Hitler's Pistol speaks to the never-ending war that began with 'the war to end all wars'. Rural communities have always been a melting pot and many are happy to accept a diverse bunch … as long as they don’t overstep. Set in a town he knows very well, in this novel Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.
How did Corporal Hitler's Luger from the First World War end up being the weapon that killed an IRA turncoat in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1933? When an affluent Kempsey matron spots a young Aboriginal boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband, not only does she scream for divorce, attempt to take control of the child’s future and upend her comfortable life, but the whole town seems drawn into chaos. A hero of the First World War has a fit at the cinema and is taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney, his Irish farmhand is murdered, and a gay piano-playing veteran, quietly a friend to many in town, is implicated. Corporal Hitler's Pistol speaks to the never-ending war that began with 'the war to end all wars'. Rural communities have always been a melting pot and many are happy to accept a diverse bunch … as long as they don’t overstep. Set in a town he knows very well, in this novel Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.
December 16, 2022
Tom Keneally, the Australian novelist, playwright and essayist, won the ARA Historical Novel prize this year. He shared the $50,000 prize money with fellow shortlisters so I was keen to read what this generous man wrote about and how he structured his novel.
I'm sorry to say I gave up about 280 pages in, so maybe it improved towards the back half. The plot kept jumping about but didn't always pick up again later. His prose was fluid and easy to transport the reader into the country town where a patchwork of characters with difficult backgrounds lived. However, when the backstory went to the war or overseas to Ireland, it got murky for me.
The writer had a keen eye for detail and his research was thorough. I felt sorry for Flo! A woman who wanted to demand more from society than it was prepared to give in those times so we watched her battle and admired her courage. Loved the cover, depicting a visual of a woman, who might've been his Flo character, in the centre of a sepia-dull town, in her bright blue dress and hat.
I'm sorry to say I gave up about 280 pages in, so maybe it improved towards the back half. The plot kept jumping about but didn't always pick up again later. His prose was fluid and easy to transport the reader into the country town where a patchwork of characters with difficult backgrounds lived. However, when the backstory went to the war or overseas to Ireland, it got murky for me.
The writer had a keen eye for detail and his research was thorough. I felt sorry for Flo! A woman who wanted to demand more from society than it was prepared to give in those times so we watched her battle and admired her courage. Loved the cover, depicting a visual of a woman, who might've been his Flo character, in the centre of a sepia-dull town, in her bright blue dress and hat.
July 6, 2024
Why was I reading this book to the end? I don't know! But I would definitely never read it again nor recommend it. The whole read jumps forward and backwards in time and intertwining different characters relentlessly and without warning.
The beginning of this book was a rollercoaster of names and characters that you already had a headache before you actually knew what was going on.
The story is mainly set in Kempsey NSW, 1933, and deals with the aftermath of the Great War, not knowing that the real Great War was still to come. It also deals with the issue of how white and indigenous people were living together and the problems they had to deal with. To top it up, you can read about a character named 'Chicken' and his various escapes into a man's world that you can only imagine. If this sounds like a good read to you, good luck!
The beginning of this book was a rollercoaster of names and characters that you already had a headache before you actually knew what was going on.
The story is mainly set in Kempsey NSW, 1933, and deals with the aftermath of the Great War, not knowing that the real Great War was still to come. It also deals with the issue of how white and indigenous people were living together and the problems they had to deal with. To top it up, you can read about a character named 'Chicken' and his various escapes into a man's world that you can only imagine. If this sounds like a good read to you, good luck!
October 30, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Kempsey (a town I know well) of yesteryear. Keneally does a great job of interweaving the various stories and his small town characters avoid all the usual cliches. The tension between Catholic and Protestant was interesting and his inclusion of themes such as domestic violence and sexuality were well integrated and rang true to the time period.
January 10, 2022
Interesting characters but the story jumped about too much. Found it a little confusing.
August 20, 2023
If I look at this as a slice of history in a small town I appreciate how the cavalcade of events could happen. As well as their places in history speaking socially.
February 7, 2022
Very interesting book, unusual in the way different times and places were woven together.
By about halfway I was hooked and just kept reading and reading.
By about halfway I was hooked and just kept reading and reading.
July 19, 2022
A wandering tale with many different strings (queer, indigenous, oppression, war) that eventually ties together in the end. A good read with some great depictions of early Australia.
August 19, 2022
Gripping story - heartbreaking and thought provoking based on historical events. I’m a fan of Tom Keneally and this will go down as one of my favourites.
May 15, 2024
Slow, odd writing (sentence construction), multiple timelines which I find lazy and unsatisfying. My first Keneally and last. I finished it but it was a struggle.
July 7, 2023
Another strong work of historical fiction from Keneally. Weaving together a wide range of themes (perhaps too many), the narrative shifts forwards and back from the central point of the traumas of the interwar period through a vividly imagined cast of characters.
The narrative beautifully explores the damage of narrow-minded thinking, intergenerational trauma, and the costs of prejudice against non-conformity. Of course, Keneally tackles familiar themes of religion (with its violence and strictures), women's place in society, Australia's inherent racism and throws in sexuality for good measure.
Let's say that it may not have hurt to trim that down a touch.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
The narrative beautifully explores the damage of narrow-minded thinking, intergenerational trauma, and the costs of prejudice against non-conformity. Of course, Keneally tackles familiar themes of religion (with its violence and strictures), women's place in society, Australia's inherent racism and throws in sexuality for good measure.
Let's say that it may not have hurt to trim that down a touch.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
September 20, 2022
This novel was ok but there were so many plots and sub-plots throughout, that it made it difficult to follow a consistent stream. The novel created an atmosphere from the 1930's in regional New South Wales and Sydney that was interesting. The novel was long listed for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
June 5, 2023
This was a poorly written book which annoyed me from start to finish. No idea how this won a prize of any kind. There were moments of hope in it but they were few and far between. The people I liked the best were those who were outsiders, which I suppose was Keneally's purpose. Thank heavens I did not pay for this book. Thank you to my local library.
June 25, 2023
This is the story of Lance Corporal Hitler's pistol. Hitler, having killed a german speaking australian clergyman, loses his luger and it ends up in a small outback town and is used in an IRA revenge killing. Meanwhile a battered wife tries to gain independance form an adultrous husband who uses native woman for extra marital sex.
Its a tremendous yarn and might even be true!
Its a tremendous yarn and might even be true!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews