A Far-flung Life by M. L. Stedman

The epigraph that Stedman quotes hints at what this book has in store for the reader: ‘Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and righting, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.’ Rumi. As in her first novel, the stunning The Light Between Oceans, Stedman takes her readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and ethical quandaries.

In essence this is a family saga, set in the unforgiving landscape of Western Australia, within the claustrophobic societal expectations of the 1950s. What sets this book apart from others of its ilk is Stedman’s exquisite writing. So I am going to cut to the chase, and give you my favourite quotes.

‘On the morning that the lives of her menfolk were being haggled over by Life and Death, Lorna MacBride was in her kitchen….’

‘A light coating of death dusts any scene you care to observe in the bush…. Death twinkles in this landscape like mineral sand.’

‘We think we know who we are: that each day, we’ll wake up more or less the same person. But just as rocks are weathered, we are perpetually formed and changed by time and experience until we leave this world with not a single cell we came in with. As the ribbon of our life uncoils, the person who goes to sleep is imperceptibly different from the one who wakes up.’

‘There is a time when anything is possible: a time when we could be whoever we dream of being. Then life get in the way, and our existence shrinks to a single moment.’

‘Every adopted baby comes from a cradle of sadness for someone.’

This is a challenging book, and some readers will turn away at a certain pivotal moment – but I urge you to continue; your perseverance will be richly rewarded.

Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group