The drover's son by Leah Purcell. Illus. by Dub Leffler

Danny ’s father is away for months on end, droving. Danny has had to grow up quickly and take on the roles his father would have had. He knows that soon he will have to go off with his father, and become a drover as well, but he is not keen to follow that path.

Purcell leads us into a familiar landscape, her descriptions making the reader think about where they are, and why. The loneliness of the woman is heart wrenching, although it is better than having her husband at home. She gives birth to a stillborn alone, she rallies her children, taking them for walks, explaining the landscape to them. 

One day an Aboriginal man appears. He does the woodchopping, mother tells them. And he and Danny share their stories. Through his stories, Yadaka becomes a role model for Danny, one as different from his father than any he has come across. Dany sees a man who is strong and hardworking, treating those around him with interest and respect. A far cry from the father he knows. 

Yardagi begins by opening Danny’s eyes to the land. This is not something he can do quickly he says, but learnt after many years of being part of the land, of listening to stories of the land, of watching, of experiencing what is about them. 

Yadaki shows Danny how to make a spear, from selecting the right piece of wood, of smoothing the bark and using the fire to harden it, telling him all the while why he is doing this. He infuses Danny with how it should be used and never to throw it at the children.

Yadaka teaches Danny things he has never thought about, treating him with respect and kindness.

But one day he goes, leaving Danny to use the skills he has learnt, to tell his mother that he will never go droving. He had seen and learnt through another’s eyes the life she leads.

This wonderful reworking of Henry Lawson’s The drover’s wife, is engrossing, in its concentration on the boy and his journey.

Supported by the luminous illustrations, the landscape as shown on the endpapers, beg the readers to see it through the eyes of a family alone.  And through the story each of the characters is given substance, showing their lives as they eke out a living on the land. The mother’s love is paramount and her gentle gathering of her brood, is shown through the illustrations as she protects, feeds and tells them stories. Yadaka comes into the family quietly, taking the young boy, Danny into his circle, showing him through his behaviour how another path can be taken. He teaches the boy through his stories and work, that the way his father behaves is not the only way, and teaches him skills to make his way in the world. 

This retelling touches on the colonial experience, the taking of the land used by the First Nations for millennia, the role of a father in a family, and the experience of women left to cope alone in places beyond any community. It is rich with discusion points and a platform for reading The Drover’s Wife.

Themes: Australian history, Droving, Aboriginal themes, Stillbirth.

Fran Knight