It is 1914 and Bairnsdale, Australia, is filled with the news of a war in far off places. Ida Hallam, a young shop assistant, has fallen in love with Ralph Mitton, a land surveyor, but like everyone else he is caught up in the romance and adventure of fighting for his country. Ida envies his freedom, but when he returns wounded and troubled she begins to understand something of the nature of what he has experienced. Years later Ida s sons go off to fight in the Second World War. Peter McConnell has a sharp understanding of the detail and sweep of history, of Australia s connections with the East and of how world events impact on the daily life of the individual. A History of the Great War is a gentle, strangely haunting novel set in small town Australia. Imbued with sadness, moments of happiness and quiet courage it is the moving story of one woman s innocent life; of love, family and loss. Like a dream steeped in reality it is not easily forgotten. The pyramids themselves would turn to dust in the end.
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The soul of the book is Ida's tapestry, onto which she stitches every image of importance from the years of her century, gently correcting the madness of great events with her own infinitely modest appraisal. World history seems small beside the statement Ida wrings out of huge disasters and tiny joys. Chester Eagle, author of Mapping the Paddocks, House of Trees and Mozart: A Memoir --Cover commendation
About the Author
Peter McConnell was born at Echuca. His father was a station master in the Victorian Railways and he has lived in various country towns including Hopetoun, Orbost, Yea, Yarrawonga and Bairnsdale. A History and Political Science graduate from the University of Melbourne he has worked as a teacher, factory worker and for ten years as a night shift worker at Australia Post. He currently works part time for Green Collect. His writing has been published in journals and newspapers including Westerly, The Age, The Australian, The Bulletin, Kunapipi and Overland. Awards include Marcus Clarke Award (City of Springvale), Ballarat Begonia Festival Awards, Judah Waten Short Story Award and John Shaw Nielsen Award.
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