The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

Celebration time! I have finished setting all the exam papers, the kids are writing exams, all my marking is up to date, AND IT IS THE WEEKEND!!! I have not had a free weekend in three months! So, I am taking this chance to catch up on my blog (because I have seven books to add here before I can do my wrap up)! Ahhh, why did I want to grow up and be an adult?

I picked this one up shortly after Colleen McCullough passed away. I had been using that horrific obituary written about her as a teaching tool (to explain to the kids that they had to be respectful and celebrate the deceased's life and accomplishments) so she was on my mind. After researching a bit about her (to show just how wrong that obituary was), I was curious to read her. You know, just in case people like me need an excuse to read a book.

This book was fantastic. It follows Meggie Cleary from a young child to an adult heading into her post-summer years. We are with the family when they move from the green lands of New Zealand and head to the dry farming areas of Australia. And we watch her fall in love with Ralph de Bricassart, the Catholic priest in the area. Epic, yes. Boring? Not a chance!

I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. In fact, I left it for my 'week read', which means it was supposed to help me fall asleep. It didn't. When I reluctantly put the book down, my brain was still racing about everything that happened. I felt like I was living in Australia, fighting the elements. McCullough was magnificent at making everything come alive on the page. The fire! Just saying. I was engrossed!

What really touched me in the story was the relationships between mothers and daughters. The similarities of their situations were clear, and their reactions not unalike. But what I really liked what how they got closer to each other only as they got older. I also have to admit that I am very happy I was not born in that day and age, and that, as a woman, I have more to look forward to in life than keeping the home fires burning and the family fed (I get to do all that and still go to work - yay!).

I must admit that I preferred the first half. But that does not mean the second half was any less good. I think it had more to do with the fact that Meggie had grown out of my age group and experience group. And by then. the life that they were living was no longer foreign and enthralling. Oh, don't get me wrong, it was still interesting. In fact the WW2's entrance definitely added to my interest, although my predictions there were (luckily) completely wrong. (I was thinking along the lines of The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. Shew! I was not sorry to be wrong on this occasion.)

This book made my heart ache, made me learn about the hard life women led in those days, and didn't not help me fall asleep. I have since picked up two of her crime novels and look forward to seeing how those go. My favourite bookseller read them and really enjoyed them, so I reckon I will too.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads, although it was sooooo damned close to 5. I would recommend this to folks who enjoy historical fiction, who are interested in reading about Australia (the land felt almost like another character) and to folks who are not scared of a hefty book.