February
09
Dusk by Robbie Arnott
When I think of Tasmania, I don’t think of wild pumas. Tasmanian tigers, sure. Devils, obviously. But pumas? Not so much. So when this book opened with, “Word reached the twins that a puma was taking shepherds up in the highlands,” I did what any reasonable person would do—I put the book down and Googled:
(a) Is this book really set in Tasmania?
(b) Were there ever wild pumas in Tasmania?
(c) What exactly is a wild puma again?
Turns out, yes, this lovely work of fiction by Australian author Robbie Arnott is set in 19th-century Tasmania, and yes, there is a puma on the loose. Her name is Dusk, she is large, hungry, and apparently one of the last of her kind—introduced generations earlier by graziers who wanted to control an out-of-control deer population. Now, Dusk is terrorising shepherds and livestock in the highlands, and there’s a bounty on her head for anyone brave (or foolish) enough to go after her.
In scenes reminiscent of The Man from Snowy River, hunters and trackers arrive in their numbers to claim the prize. Among them are twin siblings Iris and Floyd, who have no money, no jobs, no home, and—somewhat crucially—no gun. What they do have, however, is a partnership forged from childhood trauma, a love of the landscape, and an unconventional approach. But is that enough?
As crazy as it sounds, this really is a beautiful book. Once you start, you simply must finish. Set against a haunting, wintry Tasmanian landscape that is as treacherous as the puma and the hunters pursuing her, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.
And that’s my two cents’ worth.
Readhead 