The Irish-Australian Cleary family from all over Australia is invited to the 160th anniversary of Conor Cleary’s arrival at the Ballarat goldfields in the 1850s. Around 2000 of this prolific family arrive at Hugh Cleary’s vineyard near Ballarat for the celebration. Hugh, a successful barrister, regards himself as the family’s leader since his elder brother, Sly, a former rock muso, addled by too much booze and drugs, believes he is dead and wanders around seemingly mute.
Drewe pokes fun at all the middle class stereotypes in this satire on middle class manners. Thea the unmarried vegetarian doctor, two former bank managers now retired, and Father Ryan all contribute their bitter-sweet stories. Mining workers, film producers, grasping wives; mocking youngsters, Indonesian brides and Chinese husbands all add to the rich mix of this huge family. The pretenders, the disappointed, the pretentious and the mad: they are all here.
We recommend this book as an amusing read to dip into on a winter’s afternoon.
Meg Dillon