Keira Andrews tells a good story. Given how good this story is, I wish she had taken more time in the crafting of her words.
Colin Lancaster, at 19, is captivated by his father's stable master, Patrick Callhan, a tall, muscular 28 year old. But when he tries coming to Patrick's rescue after Patrick is found with another man, both end up accused of sodomy and transported to Australia. The four month journey is grueling and dangerous, with hard labor and sweltering heat waiting for them when they land. They end up indentured to Emily, a 38 year old widow, who runs a hard scrabble station, or ranch, with her hired hand, Robbie, a highly skilled and effortlessly competent 21 year old.
Stories rely on imagery to make words come alive in a reader's mind, and small changes to the words can result in significantly different reading experiences. The words and sentences in this novel feel rushed and clapped together, even as the imagery - the grimy, disease infected underbelly of a prison ship, the heat emanating from a bleached-out Australian holder - clamber for more nuanced, thoughtful descriptions. Too many scenes, in this otherwise strong and fascinating book, aren't very interesting, and are frequently filled with the most eye-rolling boilerplate.
It's not that the author hasn't done her job in almost every way that counts. Characters are clearly drawn, the plot is engaging and well-paced, and the descriptions do their jobs. There's tension, passion, and friendship. I cared about the characters. There's also history, and at least some representation of others besides Caucasians. Also, Andrews gives us plenty of sex, mostly integrated into the plot or presented in ways that says something about the characters. For my tastes, I'd have liked fewer such scenes, as the tropey writing became nearly groan worthy in several intimate encounters.
Throughout, I had the feeling that this story was a child of the author's imagination crying out for love and attention. It's as if the story knows it's worth more than the slapdash word-cliches on which the author relies too many times.
Nevertheless, I very much liked The Station, as I have other books by Keira Andrews. I just wish she'd had time for higher quality word-craft in a novel that generally hits all the right notes.
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