A Far-flung Life
In 1950s Western Australia, the MacBride family runs Meredith Downs, a vast sheep station. They are not just farmers, they’re pastoralists, committed to the land and their animals despite a range of threats to their way of life, ranging from weather events to mining expansion. But a deadly car crash alters the family’s future, and the consequences don’t stop there. Younger son, Matt, suffers terrible injuries and, as he struggles to recover, makes a mistake that can’t ever be put right. The family faces further loss and Matt’s once-bright future dissolves. Now he has a secret, but is it one he will be able to keep, especially when he meets a woman who wants a relationship built on honesty, and an officious new police sergeant is intent on digging up the past?
Stedman captures the vast Australian farmstead wonderfully, conveying its vastness and beauty, its isolation and its dangers. Her characters are rounded and believable, their struggles moving and absorbing. That said, the premise of the story—Matt’s actions—make for uncomfortable reading, and while Stedman’s writing is thoughtful and tender, this story won’t be for everyone. Spanning decades and with numerous secondary characters, A Far-Flung Life is a meditative and beautifully written tale, with a lot to say about secrets, courage, and living with the consequences of your actions. In moving prose, she asks us to think about how we live, for example when Matt’s disabled friend says, “When you think about it, everyone’s life’s a prison – of days, sort of. The trick is to get comfortable in it, I reckon. Find your freedom inside whatever your prison is.”
