A visually vibrant story of moments that echo down the generations, Currawalli Street is a gentle novel about quiet lives linked by secrets in a community that changes little over the span of fifty-eight years. The village atmosphere, with its foibles and small passions, is convincing in its 1914 setting, but stretches credulity in the 1970s generation, when in reality families and communities were more fractured.

There are two compelling storylines: that of Johnny Oatley in 1914, and his grandson Jim in 1972. Johnny emerges early as the protagonist, as he sets out on horseback into the bush to look for a neighbour’s daughter, but his story is soon lost in the tangle of diverse lives. It is hard to remember who lives at number seven, or number ten, and their various histories and relationships. Once the story moves to 1972 and to the descendants of the original characters, the network of relationships is even more complex and confusing.

Morgan warms to his story in the 1972 section, as Jim returns from Vietnam to an empty house in Currawalli Street. The narrative slows to create a poignant portrait of a young man haunted by ‘jungle thoughts’ and ambivalent about being home after his experiences as a sniper. Who is he now? The theme of home and its link to identity is a powerful one. This novel would have benefited from a smaller cast of characters and more of this insightful writing.