'A wonderful collection of twenty-four short stories that celebrate the history, culture and creativity of Tasmania.
'Tasmania is another country—a lush, sometimes foreboding island with a people fiercely protective of its history, culture and creativity.
'This handsome collection, the first to bring together the finest stories about Tasmania, includes works by notable early Australian writers, such as Marcus Clarke and Tasma; internationally renowned practitioners, like Hal Porter, Carmel Bird and Nicholas Shakespeare; and a range of newer voices, from Danielle Wood and Rohan Wilson to Rachael Treasure. These twenty-four superb stories showcase the island's colonial past, its darkness and humour, the unique beauty and savagery of its landscape.
'Both a must-read for enthusiasts of Australian literature and a perfect gift for lovers of Tasmania, Deep South comes with a critical introduction from the editors and biographical sketches of the contributors.' (Source: Text Publishing website)
The narrator relates his childhood with his oldest sister, Dawn, who has Down syndrome. He describes how after Dawn - at their mother's insistence - underwent a surgery to remove her uterus, they went on a beach holiday. Dawn and the narrator, out from under their mother's thumb for once, learn to fish with the help of Captain Hodge, who Dawn falls in love with. When the holiday is over, Captain Hodge asks the narrator for help; the narrator gives Dawn the message that Captain Hodge is married and so cannot marry her. Now a middle-aged man with his own family, the narrator remembers that what he told Dawn was a lie.
'On the 9th of August, 1829, the 'Cyprus' a vessel which was employed by the Government of Hobart Town to Macquarie Harbour, was seized by the convicts and carried into the South Seas.' (112)
