Author: Paul Howarth
Length: 336 pages
Only Killers and Thieves
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Description
“Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel–a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia–reminiscent of Philipp Meyer’s The Son and the novels of Cormac McCarthy.
An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years.
It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving. When the rain finally comes, it is a miracle that renews their hope for survival. But returning home from an afternoon swimming at a remote waterhole filled by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy meet with a shocking tragedy.
Thirsting for vengeance against the man they believe has wronged them–their former Aboriginal stockman–the distraught brothers turn to the ruthless and cunning John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the region and their father’s former employer. Sullivan gathers a posse led by the dangerous and fascinating Inspector Edmund Noone and his Queensland Native Police, an infamous arm of British colonial power charged with the “dispersal” of indigenous Australians to “protect” white settler rights. As they ride across the barren outback in pursuit, their harsh and horrifying journey will have a devastating impact on Tommy, tormenting him for the rest of his life–and will hold enduring consequences for a young country struggling to come into its own.
Recreating a period of Australian and British history as evocative and violent as the American frontier era, Only Killers and Thieves is an unforgettable story of family, guilt, empire, race, manhood, and faith that combines the insightfulness of Philipp Meyer’s The Son, the atmospheric beauty of Amanda Coplin’s The Orchardist, and the raw storytelling power of Ian McGuire’s The North Water.”
Janet Dore –
“Men fear that which is alien, that which they cannot control. Hence most are afraid of certain animals, predators, those they cannot tame. In this country, that would be snakes, dingoes to an extent, but mostly the wild native.”
This is definitely not my typical genre….all male characters, LOTS of aggression and violence. Pretty much a western set in Australia.
I read it to honor the aboriginal people of Australia. As horrific as it is, it’s important that we don’t stick our heads in the sand about the experiences of the natives throughout the world.
I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through to the end. The only reason I did was because the main character was a sensitive boy who retained his softness into manhood despite all the horrors he witnessed and even took a small part in.
The writing was excellent. Character development was awesome…the author nailed the bad guys. I did figure out the ending about midway through, which did detract from my reading experience a bit.
All in all a very good read given the education, and hopefully empathy, you gain.