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THE LONG JOURNEY by Florence Norman

THE LONG JOURNEY

By

Pub Date: Sept. 7th, 1955
Publisher: Lippincott

Another story of a primitive boy, this time one who knows nothing of the white man's world, is set in Central Australia and describes Tako's coming of age. Tako is the son of the Inkata or chief of his tribe and, to prove himself worthy of the initiation rites for entering manhood, he makes a long Journey into the mountainous wilderness to seek power and the end of a devastating draught. In the mountains he communes with tribal spirits and gains the necessary visions to return a recognized leader, but, in spite of these potentials for a strong narrative, the story remains tame, the conclusions foregone and the themes no more than watered down interpretations of aboriginal life.