In this enthralling novel,we follow a woman named Rachel,a glass artist,living her solitary life contently on a remote property in rural NSW. She is surrounded by forest in a valley where she’s chosen to live out the rest of her life. Her nearest neighbours confine themselves in a commune and are known for their anti-car,anti-technology,anti-systems,anti-multi,anti-consumption model of life. She has no connection to the outside world – no internet,no technology. She likes her own quiet and space to think.
All of this is shattered one morning when a mother and baby arrive at her door,desperately seeking shelter and assistance. The life Rachel had built for herself is suddenly destroyed. The stranger and her baby pose no clear threat,but they bring shocking news – everyone is being killed by a mysterious “creature” out in the big wide world,a dementor-like force that feeds off people’s fears.
“It happens at night,” the stranger tells Rachel. “They grow stronger with each person they take. Like something feeding.”
Unable to locate the only living family she has,Rachel decides to travel into town to find her sister. The stranger becomes a friend,and her baby,a hope for the future. “By agreeing to help,she had made herself responsible for both of them,forgetting her resolve to be responsible only for herself.”
Man v Wild is a historically sanctified genre,but I am more intrigued by Woman v Wild. Simpson has chosen to set a post-apocalyptic in Australia – unleashing a powerful allegory for the genocide against First Nations people this country continues to overlook. All her previous works (most notably,Mr Wigg,Where the Trees Were,Understory andThe Book of Australian Trees) explore the intricate relationships between humans and the natural land.