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The Dry


Winner of the 2017 BookBrowse Debut Novel Award
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How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

Created: 12/27/17

Replies: 6

Posted Dec. 27, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush throughout the novel?


Posted Jan. 01, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Santa Fe Cowgirl's Gravatar
Santa Fe Cowgirl

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 32

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

Living in a drought area, as I do, with the threat of fire is great, changes your view! Everytime you see a person carelessly throw a cigarette from a car window, you cringe and then want to go tell them, "How can you be so stupid??? Don't you know that there is a high fire danger warning today?" We used to live in a pinyon/juniper forrest and I was always afraid of fire! Now we just live on the edge of it and I still worry. We get about 15 inches of rain in a "good" year....or less. You could tell how bad it was at the end of the story when they were trying "to take in the gambler/schoolteacher" and he was threatening to throw his cigarette lighter to the ground.


Posted Jan. 02, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
susiej

Join Date: 10/15/14

Posts: 363

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

The word "color" in this question is almost ironic because of the description the drought and its effects on the land, natural environment, and the inhabitants of the Kiewarra area invoke - at least in my mind's eye - images of very bland color. Everything and everyone seems washed out and nearly lifeless or harsh; images are very bland in color. Or, they are rough, scraggly, and bitter. The drought creates an edgy mood with parched people and land, all nearly crackling underfoot and ready to burn.


Posted Jan. 02, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
paulak

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 264

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

The drought was a key metaphor not only reflecting the harsh environment but also sapping many Kiewarra residents of their livelihoods as well as their compassion for others. It seems to reflect a survival of the fittest mentality and brought out the worst in many of the characters. This is a sad but probably realistic picture of human response to stresses like this.


Posted Jan. 06, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lynne z

Join Date: 01/06/18

Posts: 58

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

The drought created tension throughout the book. It not only reflected what was happening to the people of Kiewarra and to their land, but put dread into the reader about what would happen next. Being from Northern California and experiencing the terrible wildfires we have had recently made me even more tense. I could feel the heat when Whitlam was waving the cigarette lighter and was fearful the whole area would go up and smoke and take everyone with it.


Posted Jan. 07, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
stacyr

Join Date: 12/15/16

Posts: 7

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

It made me feel lonely. Nobody but the people that have lived there for generations want to stay and questionable if they wanted to stay. Desolate. On edge due to the fear of fire. While reading the last part with the lighter, I was wondering what kept someone from doing this out of depression/anger before. Not a place I want to visit.


Posted Jan. 28, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
caslyn

Join Date: 01/26/17

Posts: 1

RE: How did the drought color your impressions of Kiewarra, its residents, and the Australian bush?

I felt the drought and all of its extensions were vividly portrayed and an integral part of the story, helping to effectively illustrate the attitudes and responses of the characters.
Instead of being a simple backdrop, it defined the landscape and the characters.

There was a unsettling haunting feeling permeating the characters and the landscape


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