The Valley

Description

A murder in the remote bush in 1916 sparks a chain of events that will haunt a family for generations. Hidden in the refuge of a secret valley, their tiny community lives unknown to the world. When, a century later, Broome schoolboy Dancer falls foul of the local bikie gang, he and his father head up the Gibb River Road. Here, in a maze of rugged ranges and remote communities, Dancer begins to unravel the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Milly Rider, the mother he never knew. But the valley hides its secrets well. As Dancer learns the ways of his mother's country, he uncovers a precious inheritance - one not even those closest to Milly expected to find.

Steve Hawke grew up in Melbourne, but found his way to the Northern Territory and then to the Kimberley as a 19-year-old in 1978. Captivated by the country, the history and the people, he stayed for almost 15 years working for Aboriginal communities and organisations. His writings on the Kimberley include Noonkanbah- Whose Land, Whose Law (1989), the children's novel Barefoot Kids (2007), and A Town is Born- The Fitzroy Crossing Story (2013). The Valley is his first novel for adults.

" The Valley deftly disentangles the accumulated driftwood of secrets, lies and fragmentary memory to reveal the redemptive power of coming to terms with our past. Steve Hawke draws us into a world that is respectfully and honestly grounded in decades of living in the Kimberley and working with Aboriginal communities, and in his own unique voice and humanity." Stephen Kinnane, author, Shadow Lines