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Sequel to bestselling debut novel The Bark Cutters.
Past and present interweave in A Changing Land, the continuing legacy of the Gordon family. It's the early 19th Century and Hamish Gordon has a massive rural holding built on stock theft and is determined to ensure that his son and heir, Angus will inherit an enlarged property. Embarking on a final stage of land acquisition, a ruthless plan to buy out his neighbours, Hamish's actions nearly destroy Wangallon and have serious repercussions for generations to come.
Luke, Hamish's eldest surviving son from his first marriage is a wild man, at odds with civilised society. Deeply affected by the untimely deaths of his siblings and mother some thirty years earlier he feels deserted. His unrequited love for his young step-mother leads him to choose a life as Wangallon's Boss drover, an existence which keeps him away from the property most of the year. When Luke learns that his father has engineered events to keep him on the property he must choose between a chance at a new life and the protection of the only home he has ever known.
In 1989 two years after the death of family patriarch Angus Gordon, Sarah Gordon now runs Wangallon with the assistance of her fiancé, Anthony. Their relationship begins to deteriorate when a power struggle develops between them. Sarah's problems escalate with the arrival of her Scottish half-brother, Jim Macken who is intent on receiving the inheritance bequeathed to him by Angus Gordon. Unable to buy Jim out and with the possibility of losing one third of Wangallon, Sarah finds herself fighting the law, her half-brother and Anthony.
She has the same unescapable Gordon qualities that will ensure both and her Wangallon's survival but will it be at the expense of her happiness?
Reading Group Book Questions
- Succession planning (the passing on of the family property to the next generation) is a major issue in Australian agriculture. In A Changing Land a strong succession plan is vital to Wangallon’s longevity. Do you believe Sarah has a right to be offended when she learns on her grandfather’s passing that she must share the property with others?
- A family secret dating back to his own father’s time lies at the heart of Angus Gordon’s decision to bequeath thirty percent of Wangallon to Sarah’s Scottish halfbrother. What is it? And why does Angus’s benevolence towards Jim Macken seem at odds with his personality?
- Do you agree with Anthony’s decision not to tell Sarah immediately of his development plans? Does he have a right to be angry with Sarah’s denouncement of his plans or is his thinking too black and white?
- Sarah feels the weight of responsibility regarding Wangallon and is especially cognizant of those forefathers who have walked the same land before her. Is she driven by birthright or an all-encompassing love of the land when it comes to protecting Wangallon?
- Through Shelley’s eyes we see her concern for Sarah and her isolated life. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages that Sarah experiences living in the outback?
About the Author
A fourth generation grazier, Nicole Alexander spent 6 years at boarding school in Sydney, completed a BA through the University of New England before taking up a marketing career in Singapore and Australia. 11 years ago she returned to the family’s wheat/cattle station in Moree, northern New South Wales and is now its business manager. Not only does she run the homestead but she is also a talented writer. Her poetry, travel and genealogy articles have been published in Australia, America and Singapore. She has a Master of Letters in creative writing and is currently working on the sequel to THE BARK CUTTERS, WANGALLON
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Reviewed By Toni Whitmont, Booktopia Buzz Editor
To read more reviews by Toni Whitmont,
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Outback sagas, otherwise known as farm lit, are huge right now and fourth generation grazier Alexander is the heir apparent. In this sequel to the best selling The Bark Cutters, past and present interweave as the tension from the last Gordon family land grab of the 1890s echoes down through the generations to Sarah Gordon, battling her half-brother, her beloved Anthony, and the law in a rural family drama with all the right elements.
In The Press
Praise for The Bark Cutters
A great saga that traces family history with a wealth of romance.
Woman's Day
Past and present are woven through this engrossing Australian saga from new outback author Nicole Alexander.
Doubleday Books
A Life on the land in outback NSW has inspired first time author Nicole Alexander to write about the bush in The Bark Cutters, which captures the lives of four generations of one family..
Sunday Mail Brisbane
Can't wait for "The Farmer Wants A Wife"? Get stuck into this Aussie saga spanning four generations. Four stars.
NW Magazine
With flasbacks to the 1850's. The Bark Cutters explores the highs and lows of living on a generational family farm.
Australian Country Style Magazine
I was lucky enough to see this debut fiction novel before it was published. An engrossing multi-generational saga set around Wangallon, the Gordon family homestead, this multi-layered story of romance, risk and family secrets by Nicole Alexander, 'Australia's Newest Bush Storyteller', is highly recommended.
Sara Foster-Author of Come Back To Me (Random House 2010)
A pacy read…rollicking family saga
Weekly Times Now
