The Shepherd's Hut

Starred review from April 30, 2018
The latest from Winton (Breath) is a mournful and fast-paced journey into the life of a young man on his own. Left by himself after the death of his violent, hateful father, teenager Jaxie Clackton sets out deep into the empty saltlands of Western Australia, searching for peace and solitude. As he heads slowly north, intending to return to the only person who’s ever loved him, he hunts kangaroo and stays away from the highways, carrying little but his rifle, water bottle, and binoculars. But soon Jaxie meets exiled Irish Catholic priest Fintan MacGillis. He must decide if he can trust MacGillis’s offer of rest and help—and then whether he will continue on to his original destination. The two fall into a rhythm, and possibly a friendship, until they discover something dangerous in the desert that threatens their safety. Winton’s novel is alive with pain and suffering, but it is also full of moments of grace and small acts of kindness. Gorgeously written and taut with eloquent, edgy suspense, Jaxie’s journey is a portrait of young manhood amidst extreme conditions, both inward and outward.

Jaxie Clakton, the male protagonist in this gritty novel told in the first person, is one tough, foul-mouthed teenager. So it might be initially surprising to learn that the choice narrator for the audiobook is a 40-year-old woman, even if Kate Mulvaney's Western Australian accent is perfect for the novel's setting. But just minutes into this story of survival and an unlikely friendship that comes to a shocking end, listeners won't be able to imagine Jaxie's voice from anyone else. Mulvany is marvelous at capturing the angst and anger of this deeply compelling character, and she is absolutely convincing in her delivery of the novel's dialogue, with all of Winton's wonderful regional vocabulary. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine