MISSUS

This book is part of Ruth Park’s Harp in the South Trilogy, the last written but the first chronologically. The story concerns the families, relationships, and early lives of Margaret Kilker and Hughie Darcy in the period between the wars in rural Australia. Alternating between the two protagonists, the focus is on Hughie's travels as he struggles to find a job and on Margaret's domestic life as she stubbornly waits for him to settle down. Thanks to narrator Kate Hood's distinct characterizations, listeners have no trouble transitioning between the interwoven stories. Hood infuses the narration with drama and emotion, connecting listeners to Hughie and Margaret's struggles. Although the novel is set in 1920s Australia, the themes of family, love, and surviving hard times are universal. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2012]