Unabridged Audiobook
Wonderful Trollope "Christmas" story set in roughly lived Australia, a locale far far from his usual well-manicured England. The tone shares more in common with the American western genre and Trollope is remarkably good, with his usual vividly drawn characters. The plight of "squatters" -- early English settlers who had created working sheep or other ranches -- confronted by "free selectors" -- late arriving English settlers encouraged by new English laws to buy land legally out from under the established ranchers made for tense neighbor relations. Trollope explores this with his angry and rugged very young sheep rancher Harry, who perceives enemies all around him with a gentlemanly free settler neighbor, a trouble-making squatter family of low repute, and rebellious workers bearing their master a grudge. The constant threat of man-made fires set in a crackling dry landscape adds to the tense story. Amid the roughness Trollope manages to insert a lovely little romantic side story and come up with a satisfying holiday spirited ending. Loved it! Narrator Peter Joyce narrates the story with forceful energy that conveys the hero's personality quite well; I only found his character voices of grizzled elderly characters to be a bit difficult to understand- a little over acted for my taste - but these are tiny moments in an otherwise magnificent audio adventure.
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