'A story told through the eyes of an Australian in conflict about her return to her homeland after many years away. Set on an American container ship travelling from Staten Island to Brisbane, Neilma Sidney writes of a romance between a sailor and a married woman whose husband is also aboard. The Austral Emu limps to its unscheduled destination in Auckland, while its crew and passengers pass time in the casino within a container. The ship breaks down at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal and the voyage with its many unexpected events, is unusual to say the least. The gentle drama ends in Auckland but there are those who sail on.' (Back cover)
