Book 30: Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living by Carrie Tiffany (original) (raw)
March 30 2009, 22:39
Book 30: Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living.
Author: Carrie Tiffany, 2006.
Genre: Period Drama. 1930s Australia.
Other Details: Paperback, 256 pages.
In 1934 23-year old seamstress Jean Finnegan is part of the women's division on the Better Farming Train, a public education effort touring rural Australian intended to improve farming techniques and raise agricultural production . Jean and the other women on the train give 'lecturettes' on domestic management and child-rearing to the farmer's wives. Also, on the train is English soil expert Robert Pettegree, who believes without reservation in man's ability to chemically enhance wheat growth even in the poorest of soils. They became passionately involved and marry. Robert buys a plot of land in The Mallee where he intends to impose his scientific regime on its dusty soil and overcome the inhospitable climate. Jean is very much his partner in these experiments. However, as they face drought, dust storms and a plague of mice their idealism begins to crumble.
Carrie Tiffany came across photos and documents about the Better Farming Train when she was researching an agricultural article and thought it formed a good premise for a novel. The novel certainly has a charm to it despite tragic themes and the unrelenting obstacles that the couple face. The writing is quite stark and rather unemotional but then that does reflect the character of the narrator, Jean, who despite a strong sensuality comes across as someone unable to express her emotions easily and quite naive. The starkness also reflects the unforgiving land that they are attempting to farm.
This was a library reading group selection and not the kind of book I'd normally read. While I did enjoy its quirky moments and the way in which Tiffany incorporated photographs from the period into the text, the book overall didn't particularly engage me. I just never felt I connected with its characters. Still there is no doubt that the book was critically acclaimed on its publication and nominated for a number of prestigious awards including the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction. While it didn't win that one it did win three fiction awards in Australia, quite an accomplishment for a first novel. One I'd class as worthy but not quite my thing.
Extract on The Guardian's site.
Better Farming Train - pictures and information on Australian Government Site.
In Conversation with Carrie Tiffany - writer is interviewed about the book.
Cross-posted to 
50bookchallenge.