An unusual read

Very good. Set in the 50's in rural Australia. Milly returns to the hometown which she left after a young boy's death when she was 10 years old. She is not welcomed back with great warmth. She lifts her crazy bone thin mother from her bed and starts taking care of her, living on top of the hill looking down on the tiny village and all its inhabitants.

In town we meet a lot of the inhabitants, the local store owner, his wife, their daughter who has eyes on the son of a rich farmer family with airs, we meet the local post office manager who inspects, opens and checks all mail and postage, the chemistry with Nancy continually sweeping the street, the parents of the dead boy and many more. Set in their ways. Their habits described in detail and ridiculed by the author.

The story kept me captivated. A lot of ridicule, sad at times, hopeful, but dark in the end. It has been made into a film. I'll check that out soon, I'm very curious to see the characters in this book come to life. As alive as they are in my mind.