A Far-flung Life: A Novel
From the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Light Between Oceans comes a breathtaking and epic novel set in the vast outback of Australia—about tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of love.
When we do something that can’t be undone or mended, how do we go on living? How do we find our North Star when there is no right answer? These are the questions at the center of M. L. Stedman’s unforgettable and magisterial new novel, A Far-flung Life. From the author of the beloved and bestselling The Light Between Oceans, this is a sweeping and epic story of a family, a tragedy, and the aftermath that reverberates for decades.
Remote Western Australia, 1958: here, for generations, the MacBrides have lived on a vast sheep station, Meredith Downs. It is a million acres, an ocean of arid land. On an ordinary day, on a lonely road, under the unending blue sky, patriarch Phil MacBride swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In seconds the lives of the entire MacBride family are shattered. And then, tragedy revisits when a twist of consequences claims the life of one sibling, and leads another to give up everything for the sake of an innocent child. Matt, the youngest MacBride, is plunged into a moral and emotional journey for which there is no map, no guide. The secrets at the heart of this gutting and beautiful story force him to choose between love and duty, sacrifice and happiness.
A Far-flung Life is a tale about family and belonging, fate and time. It is about people trying to do their best, and each, for private reasons, seeking shelter from the storm of life.
Can a fleeting moment unravel a whole life, mar it indelibly and irrevocably? Can compassion, resilience and forgiveness allow us to come to terms with our human imperfections? These are the questions Stedman asks in A Far-flung Life, her profoundly moving, uplifting, and luminous new novel about what the heart can endure for the sake of love.
When we do something that can’t be undone or mended, how do we go on living? How do we find our North Star when there is no right answer? These are the questions at the center of M. L. Stedman’s unforgettable and magisterial new novel, A Far-flung Life. From the author of the beloved and bestselling The Light Between Oceans, this is a sweeping and epic story of a family, a tragedy, and the aftermath that reverberates for decades.
Remote Western Australia, 1958: here, for generations, the MacBrides have lived on a vast sheep station, Meredith Downs. It is a million acres, an ocean of arid land. On an ordinary day, on a lonely road, under the unending blue sky, patriarch Phil MacBride swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In seconds the lives of the entire MacBride family are shattered. And then, tragedy revisits when a twist of consequences claims the life of one sibling, and leads another to give up everything for the sake of an innocent child. Matt, the youngest MacBride, is plunged into a moral and emotional journey for which there is no map, no guide. The secrets at the heart of this gutting and beautiful story force him to choose between love and duty, sacrifice and happiness.
A Far-flung Life is a tale about family and belonging, fate and time. It is about people trying to do their best, and each, for private reasons, seeking shelter from the storm of life.
Can a fleeting moment unravel a whole life, mar it indelibly and irrevocably? Can compassion, resilience and forgiveness allow us to come to terms with our human imperfections? These are the questions Stedman asks in A Far-flung Life, her profoundly moving, uplifting, and luminous new novel about what the heart can endure for the sake of love.
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Community Reviews
At the heart of A Far-Flung Life lies a tapestry of unforeseen events: a kangaroo unexpectedly crossing a night road, a passenger in a truck not expected, a miraculous survival against all odds, and a sudden rainstorm that prompts two people to seek shelter.
I can’t say much more without spoiling key moments in the book. What I do know is that I was completely absorbed in the story and the life-altering choices some characters face, as well as the traumatic secrets they keep hidden, maybe not to protect themselves, but others. Even more devastating are the snippets of memory that only offer clues, leaving the full picture just out of reach until suddenly, clarity strikes, bringing with it feelings of anguish, guilt, and shame if the truth is revealed. Interestingly, several characters become keen on uncovering the truth, each driven by different motives.
The setting for these events is Meredith Downs, a large sheep station operated by the MacBride family for generations. However, they do not own it; it's leased from the government, which becomes important later. Managing such an extensive farm requires immense resilience, as travelling from one end to the other can take days. Its remote location means education is provided via radio, and medical help relies on the Flying Doctor service. The landscape, although occasionally stunning, can also be harsh.
‘Out here, it’s red earth for as far as the eye can see. Overhead, the sun ploughs an unending blue sky. Under dust-green mulga, a lizard seeks shade and shadow; ants engineer heat-defying nests; kangaroos suck moisture from tender leaves, ears swivelling to locate the distant rumble: on the straight vermilion line that cleaves the sparse trees…’
My favourite character was Pete Peachey, the Roo Shooter. I loved his gentle nature, steadfastness, quiet wisdom, and sense of justice. The author gradually reveals his fascinating but heartbreaking backstory, which could have been a novel in its own right.
I enjoyed every moment reading A Far-Flung Life. My only minor critique is that the concluding, somewhat brief section of the book spans a significant period in the characters’ lives, with one moment showing a character as a child and the next as a parent. The book's emotional ending feels entirely appropriate.
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