New fiction
“A Far-Flung Life,” by M.L. Stedman. The MacBride family have been operating a sheep station in western Australia since the 1800s. The patriarch of the family, Phil, is driving along an isolated stretch of road when he swerves to avoid hitting a kangaroo. Phil and his oldest son, Warren are killed in the accident and the youngest MacBride, Matthew, is left in a coma. While Matthew eventually returns home, he finds, as the only remaining son he has inherited the sheep station, an overwhelming situation for a teenager. Misfortune strikes again, making Rosie, the only MacBride daughter, run away from her family. When Rosie returns, not only is she a shade of her former self, she is a mother. She refuses to speak of her travels, but all can see she is tormented by some secret. Desperate and guilt-ridden, Rosie makes an unspeakable choice. It’s now up to Matthew and his mother, Lorna, to raise the baby. It’s a journey for which Matthew has no guide and will take all his strength, resilience and love to carry on.