Proving that age is of no hindrance to genius, Barbara Hartmann King remains unfazed in producing literary art that would ensnare our wildest imaginations and keep us wanting for more. In a masterful display of skill, she can weave stories of historical reality and wishful imagination together, enabling us to grasp the tales she delivers with ease yet still allows us to appreciate the meticulous work that goes into her crafts.
In today's world, where everything is fast-paced, from technology to the events of our day-to-day lives, Barbara Hartmann King offers us a relaxing and rejuvenating respite from the present's hustle and bustle. Barbara draws energy and inspiration from the Aussie Bush, tapping into the same mystical and bewildering energies that influenced Colonial Australia's inhabitants back in the 1900s.
Barbara does a splendid idea of channelling these inspirations and thoughts in her Coloured Sands Trilogy.
In Coloured Sands, the first novel, we join the adventure of a young girl named Emily as she embarks on a journey loaded with extreme psychological and social pressure, being outcast by sensationalist reporting by a brand of insanity, the attempt to mend her shattered self, the courage and will to overcome the odds of her circumstance, and the tragedy that befalls her in knowing the truth of her son's mixed-blood family.
Valley of the Eagle, the second novel, expresses the beauty and wilderness of the Australian countryside, further embroidered with a tale of love, bravery, and vengeance. It is here where indigenous aboriginal characters are allowed to shine in their own right; a refreshing move where we push the boundaries of the Australian identity with the inclusion of peoples of other cultures, an open and embracing gesture of the author towards indigenous peoples as seen through the lens of a cultural outsider yet manifests itself in a good-willed and respectful manner.
Coming full circle, Children of the Coloured Sands further continues the story, revealing how the fates of characters from the first and second books have become intertwined in a story wanting to overcome hindrances of race.
These novels travel through the Great Depression and the World Wars. Yet, in a seemingly depressing and horrifying world, Barbara has shown us that love, tragic or ideal in the outcome, still exists as a powerful and ever-present force that we humans intrinsically possess. Through these pieces of artistic magnificence, Barbara has brought us a multicultural world overflowing with emotion and reflections of reality; for such great works of literature, it would be a tragedy for anyone not to have the opportunity to read them.
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