Hi everyone, you wouldn’t believe it but after weeks of waiting for this last title of Jackie French’s Matilda Saga, it turns up a month earlier at the library I work at!! I might as well confess now, I actually write up these posts a month in advance! Yes, I know, a bit too organised, that’s me!! So if you were waiting for the last story, have a read of my review below…
Title: Clancy of the Overflow
Author: Jackie French
Genre: Fiction – historical
Publication details: Angus & Robertson; Australia, 2019
What this book is about: Jed Kelly has finally persuaded her great-aunt Nancy to tell the story of her grandparents. The tale that unfolds is one of Australia’s greatest romances – that of Clancy of the Overflow, who gave up everything for Rose, the woman he adored, and yet still gained all he’d lost and more. But Nancy’s story is not the history that Jed expects. More tales lurk behind the folklore that surrounds Clancy – the stories of the women hidden in Australia’s long history, who forged a nation and whose voices need to be heard. It is also a story of many kinds of love: Clancy’s growing passion for the bush speaks to him in the ripple of the river and the song of the stars, and Nancy’s need to pass on her deep understanding of the country. But perhaps the most moving love story of all is the one that never happened between Matilda O’Halloran and Clancy of the Overflow. And as Jed brings all of these stories to life in her book, Matilda and Clancy will once again waltz beside the river and the forgotten will be given a new voice.
My review: Oh… the anticipation I faced until I read this story!! So deeply moving, beautifully written and all strands of the Matilda Saga weave together and finally I understood how all those mysteries intertwined and balanced each other out. With this final story Jackie French has created a masterpiece in the Matilda saga. What I really enjoyed, along with the historical accounts of Clancy’s life in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, were the character arcs of Jed’s young daughter Mattie and Nancy’s son Clancy. Rich in dialogue and description; themes of courage, friendship, loyalty, family and the many kinds of love fill the pages of this book. Bringing a new generation of characters for us readers to fall in love with, Jackie French also gives us an insight into the many women throughout history who helped build the great nation of Australia!! An awesome read better suited for teenagers!!
My rating: 5 ⭐
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 