A True Australian Outback Story

Baseball coach Barnes offers a series of vignettes, recounted by his elderly father as he looks back on his life in the Australian outback.

In his debut, the author assembles a series of memories and anecdotes provided by his dad, Ronald.It begins with a hardscrabble upbringing in the Australian outback; although the family lived a rural lifestyle, they also owned an automobile—rare for the 1930s—and several horses. Ronald and his older brother and protector, Bert, were wild, outdoorsy kids with a penchant for pranks, such as painting their father’s headlights black. Although their dad could be a hard man, Ronald notes, there was love in the house, and the boys managed to see their way through everything from bullying at school to the tragic death of a family friend and peer. As Ronald aged, he met Margaret, the love of his life and his eventual wife, with whom he later started a family; along the way, he made a living as a shearer. The Barneses moved through various careers—real estate, commercial driving—eventually both working at the U.S. embassy, which spurred them to take the trip of a lifetime across the globe to the United States. This work’s homespun feel has some appeal, with chapter titles such as “Horses I Knew,” “Early Days around the Farm,” and “Reflecting on Things.” However, this rundown of recollections and anecdotes is more likely to hold deeper meaning for members of the Barnes family than it will to others. The work will no doubt be treasured by those who know the subjects personally, but the average reader will likely struggle to find a thematic throughline to keep them engaged; as such, its potential readership may be limited.

A heartfelt document, but one that may appeal more to the author’s family than to a general audience.