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| They brought their old-world conflict with them to the new land. The Orange and the Green focussed their antagonism on neighbourhood pubs in 1875, at a difficult time on the famous Ballarat goldfields.
Jill Blee skilfully surrounds her characters with the flavours of time and place. The mines and mining tragedies loom in the background while the belligerence of miners and lorrymen, together with their imported patriotism and religious bigotry threaten the desire of the Farrell family to achieve wealth and respectability.
This special day in the life of their pub becomes life itself, filled with contemporary spleen, beautifully described household routines, and relentless social climbing that threatens Tommy Farrell's chance of finding love. |
