Walkabout [Paperback]

James Vance Marshall (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0887410995 | ISBN-13: 978-0887410994 | Publication Date: June 1978

Mary and her young brother Peter are the only survivors of an aircrash in the middle of the Australian desert. Facing death from exhaustion and starvation, they meet an aboriginal boy who helps them to survive, and guides them along their long journey. But a terrible misunderstanding results in a tragedy that neither Mary nor Peter will ever forget...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Very tender, very touching, and sketched out with no sign of strain. The descriptions of the Australian bush are first-rate.' New Statesman 'A deeply-felt book, filled with information about desert flora and fauna.' Times Literary Supplement 'A small classic, pared down to the bare bones. many will not only enjoy it, but long remember it.' New York Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

James Vance Marshall is one of the pseudonyms of English writer Donald Payne. Walkabout was first published in 1959 and later made into a movie starring Jenny Agutter. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Sundance Pubns (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887410995
• ISBN-13: 978-0887410994
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful classic of its own kind., June 24, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walkabout (Paperback)

Walkabout is a story of the unification of two cultures that are 10,000 years apart. Peter and Mary, two American kids from Charleston, South Carolina, end up in the ruthless Australian outback where not one person is found in miles, just true desolation, after their plane crashes on a flight to visit their uncle in civilized Adelaide. However they don't encounter what we call civilized. Almost on the point of dying they find an aborigine who saves them from hunger. The boy teaches them how to survive in his habitat from finding alkaloola (water) to how to kill fish in a fresh water pond. The aborigine performs his tribal dances, taking them hand in hand through the weird and mysterious world of one of the most primitive cultures ever seen on earth. One of the most important customs performed by the aboriginal people is the "walkabout" really the initiation to manhood, just like the bush boy is doing in the story, Mary and Peter however are not on a walkabout to manhood but a walk for survival. The author explains the wonderful surroundings with such detail that you feel you are there living every moment. From Koalas to baby Wombats, reading this book is like diving into an ecological realm. A story of insight and warmth straight from the heart. The book accomplishes what it's set out for to teach us more about the aboriginal people, as each chapter, which might seem long but very informative. If you are being assigned this book get ready to consider it a gift and if you are reading by choice you are guaranteed to consider it a very smart move.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Walkabout In A Nutshell, March 31, 2004

By 

Senior High (Billings ,MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walkabout (Paperback)

The book Walkabout by James Vance Marshall portrays the difficulties that arise when two siblings find themselves lost in the Australian Outback fighting to stay survive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it showed how the children were guided and how the knowledge of an Aborigine boy provides a vital source of information that greatly increases their chances of survival. The story had an excellent flow to it, and the word choice is exceptional, Marshall's description of the land lets the readers imaginations' run rampant. My only complaint about this book would be the fact that it was a little slow at times, but overall it was an excellent, well-written book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is captivated by the television show Survivor. There are so many descriptions of native plant life and species of animals that provide a source of nutrition for the children. Also, anyone who is interested in the outdoors and living in harsh, extreme conditions would be fascinated by the techniques that are used to stay alive by the Aborigine boy. These skills have been used for thousands upon thousands of years, but they still hold true even in the technologically advanced 21st century. This book was an excellent read, and it would most likely be enjoyed by anyone who read it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lost in the desert, December 10, 2007

By 

Raymond Mathiesen (Armidale, N.S.W., Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Mary and Peter are two U.S. school children on their way to visit their uncle in Adelaide, Australia. Mary is fourteen and Peter is nine. While flying over Central Australia their plane crashes and the children are the only survivors. How are two modern children to survive in the Sturt Desert? Soon Mary and Peter meet a thirteen year old, native, Aboriginal boy. He seems to be their savior but Mary cannot bring herself to trust him and modern civilization is a very long way off.

This book raises important questions about the supposed superiority of Western civilization over 'native' cultures, and the supposed inferiority of 'colored' people. It also illustrates the terrible misunderstandings that can result when people of different cultures meet.

This book was published in 1959 and it is important to realize that Australia has changed a great deal since then. Non-English speaking Aboriginals who have never had contact with white people are definitely a thing of the past, and were very rare even in 1959. Beyond the fact of a plane crash the author has not given any indication of the time in which the story is set.