Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

A sweeping Aussie saga ...

I read very few sagas, but this one dragged me into the lives of a plethora of characters and wouldn't let me go.​

Tricia beautifully depicted the hardships of early white settlement (and some of its effects on the Aboriginal landowners) in South Australia, as well as the tough characters that inhabited it and their attitudes.

Thomas Baker is likeable, even though he's a little green in the beginning and learns some very difficult lessons.  He has travelled from England and lost both his parents, but he's determined and hard working. He makes his own opportunities, which take him into the most remote areas to oversee sheep stations, battling incredible hardships mostly alone.

The story also followed Septimus, a proficient con artist. I spent a lot of time hoping he'd get his comeuppence, because was a truly horrible character, especially to the poor young woman who followed him around the country.

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