Walkabout Woman [Mass Market Paperback]

Michael Roessner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1988

"Michaela Roessner's Walkabout Woman has got it all: clean, lyric prose; a fascinating 'alien' setting juxtaposed with a contemporary one; and a guise of Mystery not often seen before. There is a power in Roessner's prose and a simplicity that's as beguiling and deceptive as that of her subjects themselves.... it provides the reader with a thoughtful, as well as entertaining read, and allows the epilogue to acquire a poignancy that's both uplifting for how things work out in this otherworld, and a sadness that it won't do so in this one." — OtherRealms


Walkabout Woman is indeed a daring and innovative first novel... Beyond its setting, the strength of this work lies in its vivid depiction of the relation of the Dreamtime to ‘real life', in the characterization of Raba, and in the incisive parallel drawn between the loss of the Welsh Annwyn and the impending fate of the aborigines... it is a book to be read, and then read again." — Book Review Annual

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Spectra; First Edition edition (August 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553275453
• ISBN-13: 978-0553275452
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old World Magic vs Older World Magic, Who Wins?, June 15, 2001

By 

Mitchell Small (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walkabout Woman (Mass Market Paperback)

I stumbled across this book in a used book shop and consider it quite a find. Roessner is better known for her historical fantasy series and this book is a clear predecessor to her style. The setting and characters come from an area not too frequently seen here in the US.

My only previous exposure to Native Austrailian lore is through the writing of Marlo Morgan. Michaela Roessner's version is a little different, but it is a work of pure fiction, so I will not get into the discussion of whose portrayal is more acurate. Suffice to say the book is true to the lore presented. If you are willing to immerse yourself in the native lore presented, the rest of the story follows true to form.

I enjoyed the author's presentation of Raba and following the development of the character. The character is developed so strongly, to the point I was disappointed when Raba sheds her true identity.

The foundation of the story is very reminiscient of Carlos Castenada's series but with some very significant differences. In Roessner's story, the background is Australia instead of Mexico and there is no use of drugs. The young healer is taught to use and refine her own inate gifts. She learns to augment her skills by being in harmony and listening.

The confrontation leading to Raba's reawakening was disappointing, however, as there was very little surprise here. The presentation was too contrived. The final showdown, while supensful, was a let down for me. There are other alternative endings that would have kept the same final result and still provided a more credible ending.

I've given the book 4 stars because I can't fractionalize my rating. If you can find a copy, it is worth adding to you personal library, but in retrospect, I would give the book less that four stars but considerably more then three.