The Shiralee

A shiralee is a swag, a burden, a bloody millstone - and that's what four-year-old Buster is to her father, Macauley. He takes the child on the road with him to spite his wife, but months pass and still no word comes to ask for the little girl back. Strangers to each other at first, father and daughter drift aimlessly through the dusty towns of Australia, sleeping rough and relying on odd jobs for food and money. Buster's resilience and trust slowly erode Macauley's resentment, and when he's finally able to get rid of her, he realises he can't let his shiralee go.

First sentence: THERE was a man who had a cross and his name was Macauley.

Year

2001

Language

English

Series

Penguin modern classics

Publisher

Penguin

Editions

2

ISBN

9780143180197

Data source: Wikidata