review by MaryomSadie Hazzard isn't happy when her mum Ellie decides to move from Melbourne to the small town of Boort in rural Victoria. Ellie has fond memories of the holidays she spent there with her grandparents but Sadie thinks it's just plain dull. Gradually she makes new friends - Lachie and Walter - and discovers how her family fit into the area's history. But Sadie also finds herself talking to the crows that seem to follow her around and have a task for her. In a dreamlike state she slips into the past to find a mystery that needs to be cleared up.
Crow Country is an intriguing time-slip adventure set in rural Australia. The present day story of Sadie and Ellie moving to Boort mixes with the flash-backs to the 1920s discovering wrongs committed then and helping to put them right. Without being moralistic or preaching in any way, the story explores the relationship between white incomers and aboriginal peoples of the Boort area, their differing attitudes towards the land, the particularly difficult area of 'mixed-race' relationships - working towards a better understanding from both sides. Nevertheless, it remains at all times, first and foremost, an excellent story.
Maryom's review - 4 stars
Publisher - Allen and Unwin
Genre - teen, time-slip adventure,
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