This was a gorgeous read, a story of two brothers, Luke and Ben, who couldn’t be more different, but who love each other like only brothers can.
Set in Australia in a rural pocket, Cabbage Tree Creek (the author wrote this from stories his mother told him of growing up here), the boys spend their summers here, quiet summers with plenty of freedom. Ben, the older of the two, is adventurous and courageous, and spends his time jumping from a huge height into the water below. Luke is quiet, introspective and spends his days sketching the birds of the creek. He knows all of the birds, their features, habits and even adopts a Magpie, Maggie, whom he talks openly to. When a competition to win a boat crops up, the boys make this their project. They are going to win the boat! Together they will make a book all about the birds of the Creek, Ben bringing ideas and abundant enthusiasm to the project, Luke, being the grafts man, doing the sketches using his unique knowledge of the birds.
When Ben begins high school, the boys begin to drift. Ben starts to go his own way, Luke becomes quieter and is trying to figure things out without his big brother always at his side. His absent father is back and Luke doesn’t want to know. His mother is doing her best to navigate the situation for everyone.
And all the while, birds are a constant. When the world is unpredictable and difficult, birds are there. They are signs of hope for Luke.
Luke notices Ben sneaking out at night and is intrigued. And when he follows him one night, what he discovers asks something big of Luke, where love and loyalty are tested.
I loved this book. It was a perfect balance of nature writing and family life and a story about growing up. It is more character driven than plot, and moves at a leisurely pace, reflecting the setting, and those summer days on the creek beautifully.