'When Char's older brother goes to war, it is her responsibility to take on his job as farm assistant to their father. With the men away at war, many women are filling the positions which had previously been in male-dominated areas.
'Another example of this is Miss Playfair, who arrives from the city as the first female to teach at the local Kanyul school. Her arrival coincides with, and in many ways contributes to, the prevailing disruption in the formerly close-knit community.
'Char discovers that in war time, there are not only the natural disasters of drought and shortage to contend with. There are also personal hatreds and prejudices which sweep through the community, overriding the coherence and cooperation the war should bring to the lives of her people.
'Deepwater is a moving account of the experience of war for those at home, through the eyes of a young girl.'
Source:
'Australian and Special' [review], The Canberra Times, 23 July 1989, p.33.
