Locust Summer is David Allan-Petale’s first novel. It was shortlisted for the Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award and was also selected for a fellowship for Allan-Petale at Varuna, the National Writers’ House.
The cover of the book is simply stunning with its slightly abstract ripened ears of wheat in golden brown and blue and red hues that seem to swirl through the book’s title. But the title itself is mystifying.
The title ‘Locust Summer’ combined with images of ears of wheat evokes an expectation of summer harvest and swarms of locusts decimating farmers’ livelihoods as they strip the land leaving nothing in their wake. Or a battle of time, farmers racing to harvest their wheat before the swarms come, as the news reports the swarms getting ever closer.
But there are no locust swarms.
Rowan Brockman, the main character in the novel, is a journalist with a Perth Newspaper. His family has been farming in the Western Australian Wheatbelt for many years, his elder brother, Albert, the heir to the farm, has died, his father’s health is failing and so his mother calls him to please come and help with the harvest. Despite his reluctance to do so, Rowan feels he must return to the family farm for one last harvest.
The tale chronicles Rowan’s feelings about returning to the farm and his sense of not belonging.
I have to admit I struggled with this book as I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. I felt like I was reading one of those literary masterpieces we had to read and analyse in English High School classes which never quite gelled with me. And maybe that’s the point, this book falls into that group of literary masterpieces.
Having said that, I found Allan-Petale’s depiction of dementia well handled, the flashes of lucidity, confusion of one person for another, and refusal to cooperate. The sheer heat of a West Australian summer was also well conveyed, you could feel the heat jumping off the page at you.
Locust Summer is not a hard book to read, it flows, it doesn’t pull any punches on how hard the Wheatbelt farmers have it, and it acknowledges the wrongs of the land being taken from the First Nation peoples.
I have the feeling that this book, much like Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, will split its readership firmly down the middle, you will either love it, or you really won’t, there will be few, if any, who fall into the middle ground.
Many thanks to Fremantle Press, and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read and review Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
ISBN: 9781925816365
Copy courtesy of Fremantle Press
I love to read, for many years my passion has been science fantasy but recently I’ve discovered many fabulous Australian women authors and am devouring all the new genres I am being exposed to.
In addition to reading and reviewing books I enjoy photography, spending time with my husband, daughter, grandson, 2 dogs and a cat and am an aspiring author.
The searing heat, the dust, the sweat and the hardship of living on the land are vividly depicted in David Allan-Petale’s book, Locust Summer.
However not only is this a book about the harsh realities of farming in a beautiful but remote and unforgiving part of Western Australia, it is also a story about the people who live and die there. People like ‘prodigal son’ Rowan who has never really felt comfortable on the land; his mother Justine who after 30 years or so as an outsider, has adapted; and his dementia addled father Brent who like Rowan’s older brother Alby has always very clearly had an affinity with the land.
Rowan has somewhat reluctantly, returned to help out his long suffering mother with the final harvest before the family farm is sold off. It is a bitter sweet time for Rowan as he has to come to terms with all his relationships, both within his own family as well as with the land and the community he left behind.
This is a beautifully written book and it is easy to see why it was shortlisted for the Australian Vogel’s Literary Award. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to Freemantle Press and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to review it.
Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale is a coming of age story that starts and ends in metropolitan Perth but is mainly set in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Both areas are familiar to me making the story easy to picture, especially the parts and flashbacks set in Scarborough.
Rowan, the main character, heads back to the farm where he grew up to help with the last harvest before the property is sold.
Returning to harvesting and reconnecting with family and friends, it’s obvious that he struggles not only with the work, but also what he left behind.
As the story progresses, he tries to make amends with those around him as well as himself. As the story ends, a sense of peace with what has happened is apparent, ending with rebuilding relationships.
I found the story a little detailed and slow at times, however it was these details that helped turn the words into a real picture. These also helped draw out the past, present and future of the characters involved.
All up, it was a really written book that I enjoyed reading.
Locust Summer is bittersweet.
The final Harvest before the family Farm is sold.
The son Rowan, who feels obligated to return to the Farm he couldn’t wait to escape.
The Farm he never wanted to work and carry on the family name.
Rowan was his brother, a natural born Farmer who was going to work the family farm, has dies.
His Father is slipping away with Dementia.
David Allan-Petale has written this beautifully with such descriptive words
I can feel myself walking through the paddocks of rippened grain,
feel the heat and dust,
and shed a tear with the loss of the farming land that has been in this family for generations.
I really enjoyed reading this book and thank Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press for the opportunity to read this book.
I loved this book, even though at times the story was a little slow. As someone who has lived on hills properties, I could relate so easily to the descriptions of the heat and dust. Having a mother who had dementia, I could also relate easily to the feelings Rowan has and how David Allan-Petale aptly described how one day Rowans father seems perfectly normal, end then slip away a bit more each time after they have been lucid.
Rowan has so much to do on his return, and is overwhelmed with feelings of ‘not belonging’. So many broken family relationships, as well as a community whom he also needs to make amends. Most of all, he learns about himself, re-connects with the land, and grows so much as a person. I cried along with the characters at times and couldn’t wait to turn the page.
Beautifully descriptive and you can almost feel that you are right there, in WA, on a wheat farm.
I love a good story, written about our own beautiful country and this one didn’t disappoint.
Many thanks to Fremantle Press, and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read and review Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale.
Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale is set in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. It took me a few chapters to get into the story.
The main character Rowan Brockman is a journalist with a Perth newspaper. Rowans family has farmed in the wheatbelt area for many years. Albert his elder brother was to be heir to the farm but sadly died. Rowans father’s health is declining and hence his mother calls him to come help with the harvest which will be the last one before the property is sold.
Coming back to the harvest and reconnecting with his family and the community it becomes obvious that Rowan is struggling with the work and what he has returned to from his past
A great story with many highs and lows for the whole family which was very true and moving sometimes even very sad.