'It's 1939, another war in Europe. And Bernie Cooper is wondering what's ahead for her.
'She knows Gordon Brock is about to propose. An honest country boy and graduating geologist, he's a good catch. And she's going to say no.
'But the harsh realities of war have other plans for Bernie, and once her father is commissioned to serve again, she accepts Gordon's proposal mostly to please her adored dad.
'And with Gordon off to New Guinea she'll be glad of the reprieve from walking down the aisle, won't she? As Gordon braces for the Japanese invasion of Rabaul, Bernie is in the midst of the battle being fought on home soil - against the worst drought in living memory, the menace of an unseen enemy, and against the unspeakable torment of not knowing if those dear to her are alive or dead.
'From the beaches of Sydney to the dusty heart of the continent, This Red Earth is as much a love letter to the country, with all its beauty and terror, as it is an intimate portrait of love itself.' (Publisher's blurb)
