Small Mercies

Description

A husband and wife living on a severely drought-afflicted property take a brief break, only to find that their relationship is parched, too. A husband and wife living on a severely drought-afflicted property take a brief break, only to find that their relationship is parched, too. After enduring months of extreme drought on their modest freehold, farming couple Dimple and Ruthie face uncertain times on more than one front. Ruthie receives the news every woman dreads. Meanwhile, a wealthy landowner, Wally Oliver, appears on the local radio station, warning small farmers like Dimple and Ruthie that they are doomed, that the sooner they leave the land to large operators like him, the better. Bracing for a fight on all fronts, the couple decide to take a road trip to confront Oliver. Along the way, not only is their resolve tested, but their relationship as well. Desperate not to dwell on the past but to face up to the future, Dimple and Ruthie make a crucial decision they soon regret. And when the storm clouds finally roll in across the land they love, there's more than the rain to contend with. Told with enormous heart, Small Mercies is a tender love story. It is a story of a couple who feel they must change to endure, and of the land that is as important as their presence on it. 'A fine-grained study of a marriage and a land in crisis ... A wonderful book.' -Jock Serong 'This novel is a perceptive study of marriage, of family farming, and of women's lives, as well as a sombre look at the people in Australian society who have money and power, and at the way they wield those things to their own ends.' -The Age 'As the novel moves along, the true-to-life conversations of the couple show their relationship is drying out like the land ... We share their shock and feel their fear of longer droughts, hotter temperatures, and how the rich and powerful work the system.' 4.5 STARS -Judith Grace, Good Reading

Richard Anderson is a second-generation farmer from northern New South Wales. He has been running a beef-cattle farm for twenty-five years, but has also worked as a miner and had a stint on the local council. Richard is the author of two rural-crime novels, Retribution and Boxed, both published by Scribe. He lives with his wife, four dogs, and a cat.