False Green Promise - Ron Hedleysmith

This detailed and moving book based on a true life story, chronicles the protagonist's journey as a teenager from 1950s England to Australia, as a young hopeful going to work on the land with the ultimate goal of owning his own farm. It alternates between first person and third person narrative, which effectively creates a moving account of the protagonist's physical and emotional journey, his trials, hopes, disappointments, and understandings about the way his life evolves. It's also fascinating for the historical perspective of what Australia was like from an individual's point of view. The evocative narration and the optimism and philosophical depth of the narrator touched me deeply, set within the bleakness of his early Australian experiences and later tragedies. It wasn't a book I could read quickly, like I normally do, it is dense with detail which is often interesting and engaging. There was only one section where I got bogged down a little by the detail, but throughout I felt a strong empathy for the protagonist's travails and his lost dreams. It ends up being incredibly uplifting and redemptive as he reaches some profound realisations about what his life has led up to.