An American Mom in Asia

I’ve been living in Indonesia for more than 9 years now, which is relatively close to Australia (especially as an American). I’ve been to Australia a couple times and I have Australian friends. So I had one of my Australian friends recommend an Australian author they enjoy. Which is how I discovered Tim Winton. I picked The Shepherd’s Hut from his list of novels because it was available through my online library as an audiobook. And I was once again reminded how foreign Australia feels to me as an American. Obviously it’s a different country, but each time I’ve visited and now again through this novel, I realize although we both speak English, we use it quite differently! I started a list of “Australian words, phrases and slang” that I didn’t understand to ask my friends about. It was not a short list.

The book however was good! It started slow, following the teenage main character Jaxie as he flees his small town following a tragic event. He’s scared, on the run and attempting to survive in rural Australia. The terrain is rough, but Jaxie is prepared to be tougher. The book weaves together Jaxie’s trek alongside his flashbacks of a rough home life. But we aren’t so sure if Jaxie is going to make it. When he encounters a seemingly abandoned shepherd’s hut, Jaxie’s life takes an irreversible turn, and the place leaves a mark on his soul.

Overall, I ended up really liking this book. By the final third, I was not wanting to put it down. Although the Aussie lingo is abundant, I think I understand most of it!

⭐️ My rating: 4 stars of 5