Beautifully illustrated retelling of an old story helping children understand a little of our history.
Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia
In Australia, there are not many people who are part of the older generation and have not heard of Henry Lawson and his legendary poems and stories set in the Australian bush. Often considered his masterpiece, The Drover’s Wife, written in 1892, focuses on a woman’s isolation and struggles to protect her children.
This story has been part of Leah Purcell’s life since she was a young child. She has adapted the original story into a play, which became a film, then a novel, and is soon to be an opera. The Drover’s Son, set in the Alpine Country of the Monaro Ngarigo and Ngambri Walgalu people, continues her love of Lawson’s work. Rather than the wife, this story focuses on the 12-year-old son in the story, who knows that one day soon he will have to leave home and follow the path of his father and go droving. As the man of the house while is father is away, often for many months at a time, the son feels a responsibility to look after the family.
This is a story of family love and responsibility, taking the reader back to a time when white folks first built homes in the interior of our great continent. It is a story of how the First Nations peoples lost their lands, were blamed for everything that went wrong, and many thousands lost their lives for no reason. But The Drover’s Son also tells us that knowledge can be passed on to anyone who listens. It explores how our great land breathes, and changes with the seasons, how a real man behaves, and the choices we have.
There are so many things to think about and, in a classroom setting, discuss. Purcell doesn’t shy away from truths that many may choose to ignore. It is also done in such a way that younger children can become part of the conversation.
Leffler’s lifelike illustrations are in muted water colour, almost sepia. They show facial expressions of care and compassion and also joy. We can almost feel the isolation but also the beauty of this country.
The Drover’s Son would make a fabulous class book for children aged 8 to 10. Although a picture book, there is a lot of small text on each page to talk about along the way. Very young children may not fully understand the story as it also deals with the loss of children and a wife, drunkenness, and racial discrimination. But the overriding message is that of an unlikely friendship based on trust and gentleness.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: March 2026
RRP: $29.99
