cbr16 bingo celestial
Miles Franklin is a turn of the century Australian author who is most famous for My Brilliant Career (I have neither read nor seen the movie, but I think that shall change in the near future). It was published in 1901, when she was 16 years old. Her follow-up, to give you a taste of her style, was titled My Career Goes Bung. I have never read a voice quite like hers, and am enjoying it immensely.
This is an exciting time for the citizens of Noonoon, a small railroad hub in the province of New South Wales, for it is election season in the year of 1904, and for the first time women have the right to vote! (Fun fact, New Zealand and the Australian provinces – not a country yet- were the first to allow women that right. And maybe Isle of Man – ironic, no?) Elections in this locale usually were proceeded by a good deal of feisty debate, and for the first time, the women get to enjoy the show as well.
Creatures, a few months previously ranked lower than an almost imbicile man,and with no more voice in the laws they lived under than had lunatics or horses – it was miraculous what a power they had suddenly grown! The man at the back saw the point –
“Blow it all, don’t smoodge so. It ain’t long since you was all rared up on yer hind legs showin’ how things would go to fury if wimmen had the vote.”
Plus there is romance (starring Dawn) and a lovely taste of early coastal Australia, so very reminiscent of California. This month of real orange blossoms was a time of moonlight. . . [and the sun sent} great quivering shafts of sunlight between tree trunks deep into the hearts of pools and fruit and flowers are everywhere.
Such a treat.