Author: Mandy Magro
ISBN: 9781743564639
RRP: $29.99
Driftwood is the latest release by Australian author Mandy Magro, it is her fourth novel and the second I have read. Magro is an author passionate about the Australian bush and that shows through her writing, she was born and bred in Far North Queensland where Driftwood is set.
This story is heart-warming as well as heartbreaking and just a little big intriguing. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it all turned out. I think I’m going to find it a little difficult to write a spoilerless review but I am certainly going to try.
There were a few main plotlines running through Driftwood and two timelines. It took a little while for me to get my head around the fact that we were jumping from the 1860s to 2012 in almost alternating chapters and seemingly unrelated characters. It wasn’t long before I worked out how the characters related which made the time jumps a little easier to handle, and I just wanted to keep going so I could see it all come together.Another of the major plotlines was quite predictable and I saw it coming very early on so there was a part of me that just wanted the reveal to come quicker. I put it together so early that I felt it shouldn’t have taken so long for the reveal.
My biggest issue with the story concerns that plotline in that there was such a big lead up to the reveal and then there was nothing following it. We didn’t learn anything about how it was resolved, how it was dealt with or what fallout there may have been. It was almost as if we were left at a cliffhanger moment and then jumped six months into the future for all loose ends to be tied up. I think there would have been a lot of conflict resolution and personal discovery moments in those missing six months that left me a little disappointed for having missed out on. I think the story would have been stronger had we journeyed through those six months with the characters.
Taylor Whitworth is our present-day heroine, she has just had a major blowup with her parents and taken off to find the life she feels she was destined for. Her mother and stepfather want her to follow in his footsteps and go to uni to gain qualifications and build a career. Taylor wants nothing of the sort, she feels destined for a life on the land – following in the footsteps of the biological father she will never meet. With no real destination in mind Taylor sets off, believing that she’ll know where she’s looking for when she finds it. Late one night on a deserted highway she runs out of fuel and has to hike into the nearest town, until a farmer happens by and drives her into nearby Driftwood where she quickly feels at home and decides to stay.
The wayward farmer is Jay Donnellson, a born and bred cowboy who has had a rough couple of years and is feeling the strain. He is a gorgeous guy, inside and out, though he has built quite the protective wall around his heart. He is struggling to hold onto the farm that’s been in the family for generations, is worried about his grieving mother as they both mourn the loss of his father and he is still recovering from a broken relationship. Jay has a heart of gold and just wants a break, which he may just have found in the appearance of Taylor – if he ever lets down his shields.
Taylor is offered work in the local pub and then also on the Donnellson farm when mustering starts. She just happened into the town that was destined to be her new home, everything seemed to be coming together except the sadness of never getting to know her biological father.
Driftwood is a beautiful tale of small town Australia where everyone knows everyone else, and it doesn’t take long to find out about people when you’re new to town, and the sense of community is palpable. Often you read of the small towns where you may be welcomed but you can’t truly belong until you are generations down the track but Driftwood doesn’t seem to be like this. They are quite happy to embrace you right from the beginning which was lovely to read of.
The story of the past is one of enduring love, of hard work and toiling for your dreams to ensure the legacy you leave your descendants is strong. The love of William and Anne is tangible and beautiful. There is something glorious in a love that is completely unconditional and encompassing. The love where you live and breathe for someone, are willing to die or kill for someone and a love that really does last a lifetime because that isn’t something that happens very often anymore. Much of William and Anne’s legacy is the love of a lifetime.
Driftwood is quite short at only 256 pages but it packs a lot of punch. A story of following your dreams, no matter how unlikely they may seem, and working hard to fulfill them. A story of love and loss, heartbreak and rebirth. A story with a guest appearance by a very down-to-earth and loveable Adam Brand. An appearance that shows him to be a regular, community minded country boy still working on the land. This is a story that I really enjoyed but I did find fell a little short for me because there was a lot of information that was skipped over that I think would have added a lot of depth to the story.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
I love reading romance, mystery , and science fiction ,super natural,anything I can get my teeth into
Love your “spoilerless” review, Michelle. It can be SO difficult finding the right balance, can’t it, but if anyone can, you can and do. I really admire the way you approach a review and the fact that you “LOVE WORDS” comes across so strongly. This gives a book lover/reader like me so much to look forward to. Thanks for the wonderful way you add to books, it is special.
Thank you so much Trish, what a wonderful boost that just gave my day. I really appreciate you saying that because it’s hard sometimes to know what others will think of my reviews.
Have a wonderful evening, you just brought a big smile to mine. 🙂
I have just finished my copy of this book, and agree with all that was said in the ‘spoiler review’. I found it in some ways, very similar to the writing of Di Morissey.
I also agree that it suddenly ‘jumped’ 6 months where so much would definitely have happened to the characters.A shame, as so much had led to a certain point, and then it suddenly was all happy families etc.
I personally didn’t like so much swearing. Don’t we get enough of that on TV and in the street, without having it in the written word as well.
In all, I did enjoy it, and it had me hooked straight away, but it could have had alot more chapters if there hadn’t been the 6 months forward jump
I received this book this morning. Looking forward to reading it.
Hi All – Driftwood was a hit for me. I found it an easy read which held my interest throughout. I loved the setting and how we were introduced to the characters within and part of Driftwood. Loved that the characters were down to earth and real. I understand what Michelle and others have said about missing maybe those important last 6 months but I personally liked it – wasn’t fazed about all that – I just let my imagination work it out and the results are quite obvious (once you read it – you’ll know what I mean)
I enjoyed that the story stepped in and out of the past – and the effect these events had on the characters.Mandy Magro made it very easy to follow these different eras and stories through the chapter headings and I liked how the two stories connected in the last chapters to complete the tale.
Thanks for letting me be part of the Driftwood Bookclub. Will be happy to share my copy with friends and family
I LOVED DRIFTWOOD – The name, the cover, the story, the characters. I was pleased I’d read Michelle’s great review so I wasn’t at all disappointed with the lack of detail in one section, but I could have been if I wasn’t prepared to be disappointed at some point.
I loved the easy writing style, the wonderful Australian setting and the description of the cyclone was just incredible.
In some respects some of the story line was very predictable but that in no way spoilt anything for me.
I particularly enjoyed the two story lines that constantly intertwined, the ancestry from the 1860s and the 2012 story and the way the two eras were connected. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book I would have been more than prepared to be given more details in each era and as Michelle says, “there would have been a lot of conflict resolution and personal discovery moments……”
The main characters were well defined and it was easy to relate to them. I doubt that I would have been as forgiving as Taylor was if my mother had robbed me of my father as Taylor’s Mum did To delve more deeply into the characterisation would spoil the story for someone who wanted to read the book themselves.
All in all, I found it a totally enjoyable read, enough to want to seek out other works from Mandy Magro, who I hadn’t heard of previously.
My sincere thanks, Beauty and Lace, for another great Australian novel to read and review.
Finished reading my copy of Driftwood. I read it in a couple of days as I didn’t want to put it down! I did re-read it before I wrote anything here. It was a very down to earth story with realistic scenarios, from the conflict in families with step parents and the child running away to follow their dream. The portrayal of the untypical small country town that opened their doors and hearts to a stranger was something I have not seen. There was a great mix of pub life, Station life and a cyclone thrown in. The build up to the end of the book was very predictable and I felt a little let down with the ending. Great cameo by Adam Brand, especially showing him as such a normal bloke. Overall a very enjoyable read and I am sharing my copy of the book with family and friends-even recommended it to another Australian female Author who I know. Thank you so much for involving me in this book review 🙂
Driftwood is a great book that’s easy to get immersed in, and come back to later in the day to keep reading. I love those kinds of books where you just want to know what keeps happening. The cover of the book is so enticing; the characters are relatable which makes you enjoy the story even more. The Australian setting is fantastic also, you can just see it all in your imagination.
The two differing times are also a great addition, makes the story interesting, although a little hard to follow the time jumps every now and then, but you get the hang of it. I also agree with other comments, that by reading Michelle’s review I wasn’t disappointed when I got to the large gap – if I had not seen that before I read the book I would just be left wondering if I had missing pages or something! But overall it’s a really easy, enjoyable book that you can sit back with a cup of tea and read through the weekend.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace for giving me the opportunity to review this great book!
Thankyou so much B& L for the chance to read this book…this is now my 2nd book by Mandy Magro (the first being Flame Tree Hill – another winner) and they keep getting better.
I thoroughly enjoyed this true Australian story, it was full of heart, sincerity, love, strength and everything the Aussie spirit entails.
I loved how the story went between the different eras; starting in 1861 – 1920 and then the present day in 2012. Reading about Will and Anne back in the days of the Gold Rushes and Bush Rangers – it was informative and interesting to read…the love between Anne and Will was palpable and stood the test of time – a true love story. Their story ended up in Far North Queensland on a cattle property named Waratah Station, a lifelong dream of Will’s. I shed many tears towards the end of their story; with the miscarriage Anne suffered, onto the deaths of Anne and her younger daughter.
And then to the present day story of Jay Donnellson, who lives on Waratah Station and is a descendant of Will’s. And a story about Taylor Whitworth, a girl who has always had a dream of living in the country and being a Jillaroo. She left home and drove, following her heart and ending up in Driftwood in Far North Queensland, a small country town where everyone knows everyone. Taylor and Jay meet and it is love at first sight but Jay has some obstacles to overcome emotionally….but he finds it very hard to feel anything other than love for this wild child who lives every day full of passion and a fiery spirit full of determination…what Taylor want she will fight for.
A gorgeous story of the love that follows, the tragedy that follows with Cyclone Iva and a bit of Adam Brand thrown in for good measure.
This was such an easy book to read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more from this beautiful writer.
I really enjoyed getting carried away into the story line of this book, just reading the back cover had me interested.
I loved the way it was written, you really got to know the characters, could really relate to Taylor, the way she gave up everything to follow her dreams of living in the country, even through the rough times and dramas she still managed to get where she wanted to go.
I also loved how Mandy included a real life character into her book, something that I haven’t come acrosss before, the mixture of fiction and real life, quite unique.
I found the writing was perfect when it came to the cylcone and all the details of destruction and the tragedy, really pulled at myheart strings.
A great read, definitely recommended. thankyou!