This fierce and beautiful story charts the histories of two women: Rae, young, unmarried, and far from home, awaits the birth of her first child. Lila, a fortune-teller with no interest in the future, lost her own daughter more than a quarter of a century earlier in New York. When these two women meet in Southern California, it s earthquake weather the time when unexpected things happen. Immediately, their lives and fortunes become intertwined, as Rae tries to break away from the man she has been with since high school and Lila reaches into the past to search for the child she lost.This contemporary world is set against a series of Russian folktales told by an old woman who lives at the edge of Manhattan, in a place so well hidden it can only be found once in a lifetime." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

THE ARRIVAL'No mistake, it was a real wilderness - nothing but tees, 'goannas', dead timber and bears; and the nearest house - Dwyer's - was three miles away.'THE WAY IT WAS'Dave's only pair of pants were pretty well worn off him. Joe hadn't a decent coat for Sunday; Dad himself wore a pair of boots with soles tied on with wire; and Mother fell sick.'THE FOLKS AROUND HERE'The snake's head passed behind the looking-glass. Jack drew nearer, clenching his fists and gesticulating. As he did he came full before the looking-glass and saw, perhaps for the first time in his life, his own image. An unearthly howl came from him. 'Me father!' he shouted, and bolted from the house.'Stories that immortalised the Rudds and their efforts to farm their Queensland selection. Generous in laughs, full of the bathos and absurdity of life, this is the fully restored edition of 'On Our Selection' as it was written.