Cirrus@Austlit

Tale of romance and misunderstanding on an inner North Queensland station. Bonnie Oswald, her father's darling, and Violet Cameron - orphaned with only her brother Donald alive, are friends. Donald's mysterious death on return from his trip to the Northern Territory, Violet's suspicions of Paul Devereux, the self-sacrifice of the station manager John Radnor who believes (wrongly) that Bonnie loves Devereux all create alliances contrary to the true feelings of the young characters. But a fire, an Aboriginal child's story of Donald's death and a near-drowning serve to re-align the fates. Discussion of the crime of a woman agreeing to marry where she does not love, and of letting go of the dead but not their memories. (PB)