November Book of the Month: Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

The novel Limberlost by Robbie Arnott — ***Limberlost*** *by Robbie Arnott*

Limberlost, the third novel by the award-winning author of *Flames* and *The Rain Heron*, is an extraordinary chronicle of life and land: of carnage and kindness, blood ties and love.

Review by Jaye

When my sons were very young, they auditioned for a place in the Australian Boys Choir. While they were put through their paces of Do-Re-Mi, parents were seated in a separate hall with the Artistic Director. He explained that they were looking for certain musical attributes from the young singers and that in the coming days all families would receive one of two letters. One would say yes, you’re in. And the other . . . well.

He suggested that we prepare the boys for both eventualities. There will be, he said, some confident young individuals who will tell you they nailed it. Chances are they haven’t, he said wryly, and you might want to suggest that, even if they don’t get accepted, they might be better suited for solo stardom. Then there will be the ones who will be convinced that they completely stuffed up. That nothing they did was right and that they never want to sing again. Funnily, he said, that is what we are looking for: the child who is hard on themselves, who self-analyses and who strives for right, and better.

The ones who break your heart.

Ned, the central character of Limberlost, is such a child. With two older brothers conscripted to war, a distant sister and an inarticulate, powerless father desperate to save his apple orchard, young Ned finds himself navigating uncharted waters.

His story starts with a monster whale and is interspersed with that of a quoll, a runaway cow, hawks and rabbits. However, it is a deeply held vision of himself deftly manouevering his own boat, thus impressing his returning brothers, that shapes much of that summer.

The story slices through time and small acts of humanity that will slay you.

“ . . . a stunning novel by one of the most exciting Australian authors to emerge in the past few years.”

Robbie Arnott writes like a dream. Already highly acclaimed for his more surrealist works Flames and The Rain Heron, Limberlost is his first realist novel and I suspect the one that will reward him with the broadest reach. Deservingly so, as Arnott is a writer who warrants the widest readership and we will certainly be doing our utmost to help make that happen. This is a stunning novel by one of the most exciting Australian authors to emerge in the past few years and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

P.S. For those wondering, both of my boys were lucky enough to receive yes letters!