As the River Runs (Stephen Scourfield, UWA Publishing)

In today’s Kimberley region, water is a natural resource, a social necessity, a political advantage and a means for personal ambition. Michael Mooney is a government minister who intends to revive an old idea—bringing water from the monsoonal north to the thirsty cities in the south. Success will most likely bring a victory in the state election and support for Mooney’s ambition to become the state’s premier. His young, ambitious and very capable chief-of-staff Kate Kennedy is sent north with political manipulator Jack Cole to sound out local interests. They are accompanied on their tour by Dylan Ward, an ex-greenie with a chequered past, who has helped miners and Indigenous Australians negotiate landmark agreements. When Kate realises that the region needs protection rather than exploitation, unexpected outcomes follow. Stephen Scourfield’s latest novel reveals a deep love of the region he so vividly describes. It also provides a clear picture of the issues—including water shortage, alternative energy options and the rights of remote Indigenous communities—facing the government, the miners and the broader community in the battle to maintain a sustainable environment. This book is a ‘loose’ sequel to Scourfield’s 2007 novel Other Country, but it really does stand alone as a separate text. It will appeal to anyone with a love of the ‘red country’, and to those with a interest in environmental politics and a concern for the fragility of the Australian environment.

Chris Harrington is the co-owner of Books in Print in Melbourne

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews