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The Rarest Thing

Deborah O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

4.84 · Rating details · 19 ratings · 19 reviews

It’s 1966, and a mountain pygmy possum – a species that scientists considered to be long-extinct – is discovered in the Victorian High Country and transported to Melbourne where newspapers dub it ‘the world’s rarest creature’.

Thirty-year-old Dr Katharine Wynter is a palaeontologist who’s more comfortable with ancient bones than live human beings, particularly men - an exot ...more

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Paperback, Special Gift Edition C Format available from www.lomandrapress.com.au , 280 pages

Published November 1st 2016 by Lomandra Press http://www.lomandrapress.com.au

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Oct 05, 2016 Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

My View:
For this review I will try something a little different – I will start with the cover and work through the elements of the book I enjoyed - and I did enjoy this read.

To begin with I was approached by the author Deborah O’Brien to see if I was interested in receiving a copy of her latest book and perhaps reviewing it on my blog. This began a series of communications where I was introduced to the lovely Deborah, her new project and the mountain pygmy possum. As a book reviewer and blogger My View:
For this review I will try something a little different – I will start with the cover and work through the elements of the book I enjoyed - and I did enjoy this read.

To begin with I was approached by the author Deborah O’Brien to see if I was interested in receiving a copy of her latest book and perhaps reviewing it on my blog. This began a series of communications where I was introduced to the lovely Deborah, her new project and the mountain pygmy possum. As a book reviewer and blogger there is nothing more pleasurable than establishing a working relationship with an author. Relationship established I will now commence my review.

“Looking along the Blue Rag Range towards Mt Hotham, the inside front and back covers: Wildflowers at Blue Rag Trig with Mt Feathertop in the background.” This is the special gift edition paperback with a 360 gsm cover (which won’t curl), coloured endpapers and other non-standard features. (It is also be available as an eBook), though you won’t get the same depth of vision with an eBook copy. This cover is stunning and allows the reader to imagine themselves into the setting of the book, Victorian High Country.

The next page - the author states this book is inspired by a true event – “the discovery of a creature thought to be long extinct. It was such a big event at the time that the Guinness Book of Records featured the mountain pygmy possum as ‘the rarest animal on Earth’ in its 1967 edition.” (Author’s correspondence). And prefaces the prologue with this quote by Oscar Wilde: “To live is the rarest thing in this world. Most people exist, that is all.” I was primed to read this book, to immerse myself in the isolated natural settings and all things 1960’s.

And what followed was totally unexpected. The prologue, set in Sydney 1941 details a rich and loving relationship between a father and his young daughter (the protagonist, Kathy, as a child). Here the father plants the seed that the daughter can be anything she likes, even a palaeontologist (and don’t forget this is 1941 – such ambitions for a woman were unheard of). I loved the relationships described in this opening – there is love, laughter, respect and mutual admiration and support. Further, the elements of family, conservation and feminism are subtly woven into the prologue and are to become important themes in the narrative.

For me the overarching theme in this narrative is one of the feminists’ struggle for equal opportunities in education, the workplace and …life and relationships in 1960’s and beyond. O’Brien exposes some heartbreaking criminal behaviour in this novel (no spoilers here)…sadly behaviours like this have not been eliminated in our so called enlightened age. (See Zoë Morrison’s Music and Freedom for more on this theme).

So despite the sumptuous cover, the elegant introduction and the heart-warming scenes of family in the early pages, this narrative has a dark core that will surprise you. There are plenty of meaty issues within these pages to affect the discerning reader and a number of twists and some references to an unreliable narrator that will keep you on your toes.

This is a surprising read; at times it reads almost as a journal, private and personal. Yet the narrative is larger than just the personal, this multilayered drama is peppered with pop culture references, history, conservation, social issues, isolated beautiful settings and is written with a feminist bent. This is a story that will fully engage you, surprise you and at the same time shock you as family secrets are revealed.

A most enjoyable read. Thank you Deborah O'Brien - it has been a pleasure to discover your writing.

...more

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Jun 25, 2017 Elise McCune rated it it was amazing

The Rarest Thing, is a mountain pygmy possum, considered extinct but discovered in the High C0untry of Victoria. Deborah O’Brien has written a lovely story centred around this discovery. The standout cover, the settings, the characters and the storytelling all drew me in. There is so much to like about this book. Highly recommended.

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Oct 11, 2016 Renee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, read-2016, australian

A cute little snaggletooth possum is the catalyst for an expedition through the mountains, a journey of self-discovery and a blossoming romance.

The character's and story felt so real that I had to check the author's note at the end to find out which bits were truth and which were fiction. I enjoyed spending time with the timid heroine and seeing her grow. She was someone I could imagine being friends with. I loved the Aussie setting, a glimpse into life in Victoria in the 60s.

I reviewed a compl ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 marlin1 rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Brenda

Shelves: ebook, australian-author, purchased

Such a lovely gentle story with growth and empowerment for both main characters. Virtually read in one sitting.

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Sep 17, 2016 Daniel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, adventure, australian

Got my hands on a review copy and was transported 50 years into the past on an adventure into the Victorian High Country. I was equally intrigued by all three journeys of the main characters: Scott King, Katharine Wynter and the pygmy possum.
A great read that captures something seldom felt in this age of iPhones and Google: a sense of discovery.

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Nov 21, 2016 Marilyn Mccann rated it it was amazing

What a great book right from the outside cover inside cover to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it brought back lots of memories of times gone by. The little possum really set the stage for romance intrigue and adventure a thoroughly good read.

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Oct 31, 2016 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-books, first-reads

The discovery of the rare, considered extinct, mountain pygmy possum in the picturesque region of Victoria’s High Country, is the focus of Deborah O’Brien’s new book, The Rarest Thing.

The Rarest Thing features main female protagonist Katharine Wynter. Katharine is a woman ahead of her time. A deeply intelligent, talented and passionate thirty year old, palaeontologist Katharine finds herself in the Victoria High Country region, searching for the mountain pygmy possum in the flesh. Her trip to th The discovery of the rare, considered extinct, mountain pygmy possum in the picturesque region of Victoria’s High Country, is the focus of Deborah O’Brien’s new book, The Rarest Thing.

The Rarest Thing features main female protagonist Katharine Wynter. Katharine is a woman ahead of her time. A deeply intelligent, talented and passionate thirty year old, palaeontologist Katharine finds herself in the Victoria High Country region, searching for the mountain pygmy possum in the flesh. Her trip to the snowy region allows for growth to both her career and personal life, as she connects with wildlife photographer Scott King during the expedition. As the elusive marsupial gives it searchers a run for their money, Katharine and Scott are forced to confront their private thoughts and fears in the rugged Australian Alps.

Every now and then a book comes across your way that is so very special, you want to grasp onto it and not let go. I felt this way about The Rarest Thing by Deborah O’Brien. I feel very fortunate to have been provided with the opportunity to read and review this gentle gem of a novel. Deborah O’Brien is author who is familiar to me, I have read and respected her work for some years. When I was approached to review this book, I felt honoured.

What makes The Rarest Thing a standout book is number of factors. Firstly, the breathtaking cover, on the front, back and inside, which is the perfect metaphor for what is in store for the reader location wise. The setting descriptions blew me away, the prose is refined. The writing is so descriptive that the High Country of Victoria, to the University city based setting, leapt off the pages of this book and landed straight in my mind. The Rarest Thing also offers a strong sense of place. Although I did not personally experience the 1960’s, I felt I was there mind, body and soul, with Katharine through O’Brien’s skilled style of storytelling. I also felt emotionally drawn to the passages involving Katharine’s Father. He plays an important figure in her journey from a timid girl to a powerful young woman, paving the way for female academics at the time. I wept as O’Brien described the return home and harrowing transformation Katharine’s Father makes, from being a handsome soldier, to a broken prisoner of war. It was simply unforgettable. O’Brien’s ability to evoke a deep sense of place to her readers, extends through all aspects of her narrative. The book explores political activism in 1960’s Australia, the litany of social issues prevalent at this time, the emerging anti Vietnam War movements and the rise of feminism. Popular culture of the time also makes its presence known in The Rarest Thing. Music, popular movies and cult figures of the time are mentioned briefly, all adding to the overall reading experience.

The focus on the mountain pygmy possum, a marsupial I did not know existed until I came across this book, was enlightening. Katherine and Scott’s quest to find the creature in the flesh is addictive and for me kept the pages turning. O’Brien’s narrative unfolds at the perfect pace, peeling off layer after layer, revealing secrets and story twists. At the heart of this book is a heartwarming romance and a drama that plays out, examining some pertinent issues, such as conservation and equal opportunity.

It is with great joy that I took an adventure with the characters in this book, to discover the hidden history of a marsupial threatened to the point of extinction. The Rarest Thing is a passionately told, well researched novel and a story so beautifully woven that it deserves no less than a five star rating.

*With thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This review also appears on my blog: https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com/ ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Chris McGuigan rated it it was amazing

Sometimes beauties rich and rare are out of reach, sometimes they are hidden in plain sight. To see them all you need to do is focus.....

Palaeontology in 2016 conjures up images of Walking with Dinosaurs, Jurassic World and David Attenborough but in this 1966 setting the term has not been buffed by Hollywood to be readily recognised. Dr Katharine Wynter - Scaredy Kat to her two younger sisters - has found an academic niche in which to retreat for the past eight years, safe in the realm of extinc ...more

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Oct 21, 2016 Shelagh rated it it was amazing

A month ago an author I'd never heard of sent me an advanced reader copy of her new novel, The Rarest Thing.
The first thing that struck me was the exquisite cover photograph depicting the breathtakingly beautiful Victorian alps in the area around Mount Hotham and Mount Feathertop. This cover is a clue to the story within, a story which I found utterly fascinating.
Meticulously researched and with fine attention to detail, this is not only the story of a tiny endangered possum which makes its ho ...more

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Oct 04, 2016 Mary Anne rated it it was amazing

You will almost certainly judge this book by its cover - and you'll be right!
'The Rarest Thing' is a beautifully crafted book, exquisitely designed, and such a pleasure to read. The cover pics are truly apposite, and transport the reader into the heart of the action, Victoria's sublime High Country.
And if a superb dining experience at a restaurant is enhanced by perfect table settings, refined ambience and mannerly service, so a good read is enriched by fine papers, delighting fonts and layo
You will almost certainly judge this book by its cover - and you'll be right!
'The Rarest Thing' is a beautifully crafted book, exquisitely designed, and such a pleasure to read. The cover pics are truly apposite, and transport the reader into the heart of the action, Victoria's sublime High Country.
And if a superb dining experience at a restaurant is enhanced by perfect table settings, refined ambience and mannerly service, so a good read is enriched by fine papers, delighting fonts and layout, and enchanting artwork.
And the story - initially seemingly artless, the tale of a tiny marsupial long presumed extinct - soon reveals a subtle, surprising amplitude. Both main characters, the diffident young academic Katharine Wynter, and the instantly attractive wildlife photographer, Scott King, have private torments and conflicted pasts. Deborah O'Brien's prose is pure and spare as the montane landscape her protagonists traverse in their journey to find evidence of the waif-like creature. The author discloses the complexities of their relationship with the beguiling story-telling we have come to expect from the creator of 'Mr Chen's Emporium', 'The Jade Widow' et al.
Should you cherish a richly detailed narrative, a stage well set, then you will rejoice in the accuracy of the 1960's setting of this novel. The twinsets, the manly brogues, the music, the long distance trunk calls, even the public transport arrangements are all faultlessly rendered. My heart revisited the fervour of a first years ardent activism as the anti-Vietnam marches paraded through the city streets and I read the virulent graffiti splashed over the concrete walls of the University's underpass.
And it's not all trekking about the mountains in Land Rovers either. Katharine is afflicted with a brace of scantily clad, long-legged sisters who are frankly and vociferously mortified by their older sibling's palaeontological career. Charlotte and Jean sparkle with light humour in the domestic background as Katharine adroitly sidesteps the love tangles and critical wardrobe determinations that dominate her sister's days.
A confidently written Australian novel that's deeper than you might imagine......
...more

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Sep 29, 2016 Kay Wiggins rated it it was amazing

“The Rarest Thing” is set in Australia during the late 1960’s, an era of simpler but uneasy times, having said that, this book is timeless as it delves into issues that are always relevant.
Who doesn’t love a romantic story set against the Victorian High Country.
Nestled between the cover photos of those stunning mountain ranges, we find ourselves waiting for meek and mild Paleontologist Katherine to blossom, to discover herself, whilst searching for the cute, elusive and thought to be extinct, B ...more

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Oct 01, 2016 Jeannine Walsh rated it it was amazing

I so enjoyed reading my review copy of The Rarest Thing, I could not put it down loved the characters and how the story unfolded plus the fact that the story had the real component regarding the search for the rare possum. The trip back in my memories to the 60's when I was a teenager and the places I had been was a joy to read. A great read.

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Nov 02, 2016 Jodi rated it really liked it

Deborah O’Brien is an Australian author best known to date, for novels such as 'Mr Chen’s Emporium' and 'The Trivia Man'. Deborah’s latest release 'The Rarest Thing', published through her own imprint Lomandra Press, is an intriguing story about vulnerability, self-discovery, and love.

The story, set in 1966, revolves around thirty-year-old Dr. Katharine Wynter a shy, but curious paleontologist who is excited by the recent discovery of a rare mountain pygmy possum in the Victorian High Country – Deborah O’Brien is an Australian author best known to date, for novels such as 'Mr Chen’s Emporium' and 'The Trivia Man'. Deborah’s latest release 'The Rarest Thing', published through her own imprint Lomandra Press, is an intriguing story about vulnerability, self-discovery, and love.

The story, set in 1966, revolves around thirty-year-old Dr. Katharine Wynter a shy, but curious paleontologist who is excited by the recent discovery of a rare mountain pygmy possum in the Victorian High Country – a species thought to be long extinct. Katharine embarks on a trip to visit the possum in its natural habitat, although reluctantly, as she is accompanying Scott King, an international wildlife photographer. A man she is intimidated by, but also strangely intrigued by at the same time. The journey sets them both on a path to self-discovery to find the rarest things – both in the bush and within themselves.

'The Rarest Thing' isn’t usually a book I would pick up* out of curiosity, but it being set in the Victorian High Country, a setting I’m quite familiar with, and the fact it was penned by Deborah, that I found myself interested to see what the story entailed. And I’m glad I did.

Deborah has a wonderful way with characters. She is able to draw her characters with perfect visuals that provide the reader not only with physical attributes but detailed characteristics of their persona, that creates a bond between reader and character. It doesn’t take long for you to be drawn into Katharine’s story, where you are curious to find out her secrets, and hope dearly for her future. I found myself really rooting for Katharine to make peace with herself and find the strength that you could tell was inside her, if only she had the courage to look.

The other thing with this novel is of course the setting. You can tell Deborah has a passion for for the high country, and has spent time there. Her descriptions covered all five-senses and if you closed your eyes you could envisage Katharine and Scott hiking through the scenic landscape.
I also loved Deborah’s ability to tie in the story of the little pygmy possum with the themes of trust, courage, and personal relationships that are at the heart of this book.

Deborah has pulled together not only an intriguing and interesting story, but a story that is full of life and heart. A story that will wrap around you and make you smile. A story that will stick with you long after reading the final words.

*I did receive a review copy of this book from the author, but all opinions are my own.* ...more

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Nov 04, 2016 Maureen rated it really liked it

I very rarely read romance of any kind, and especially not the new craze that is rural romance. However, when Deborah approached me about her latest novel, I was intrigued enough to give it a shot on the strength of another novel of hers I’d read in the past which allowed for romance in a historical setting with a real sense of pathos and authenticity. Deborah is an author who doesn’t take the easy story-telling route and I knew that any romance story she told would be complex with fully fleshed ...more

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Oct 31, 2016 Jo-Ann Duff (Duffy The Writer) rated it really liked it

Katharine Wynter is a highly educated paleontologist; a smart, beautiful, young woman with her career and future ahead of her when something dark happens to shake her confidence. George is a mountain pygmy possum, considered to be long extinct and only recorded in fossilised form. The rarest animal in the world in 1966 is found running about at a Ski Lodge in the Victorian High Country and is transported to Melbourne and put into captivity to be studied. Katharine gets an equally rare opportunit ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Annie Seaton rated it it was amazing

Every so often you stumble upon a book that is quite different to what you expect. The title of Deborah O’Brien’s latest book caught my attention, and I picked it up, eager to read, after having enjoyed The Trivia Man so much.
The Rarest Thing rates up there with one of my favourite reads for the year. It is delightfully different and refreshing in many ways. The settings in the rugged Australian Alps and on the campus of Sydney University when women were still perhaps regarded as inferior to the ...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Michelle rated it it was amazing

(Advance Copy) Once again Deborah O'Brien has created characters so real and endearing that their presence lingers long after you have finished the book. I could hardly put this book down which has many layers of interest and an important conservation message. Inspired by a real event, the discovery of the thought to be extinct Mountain Pygmy Possum, an inspiring story of transformation has been tenderly crafted. Not only is the tiny possum brought to life but so is the majestic High Country of ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Kirsty rated it it was amazing

Much like the elusive mountain pygmy possum, this book is a rarity - a great read!
Deborah O'Brien has created unforgettable characters in Katharine and Scott, and her latest novel will effortlessly transport you to Australia in the 1960s.
The Rarest Thing will quickly find a place in your heart.

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Mar 23, 2017 Susanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian-women-writers, historical

Set against the backdrop of Australia in the 1960’s is this beautiful story of an expedition to discover another Burramys or pygmy possum in the wild. Thought to be extinct, the discovery of a live creature creates waves within the scientific community, and begins a journey that will change the lives of two lonely people.

Nature photographer, Scott King, is an unusual hero. He appears to have it all; a glamorous career that sees him travelling around the world photographing both wild animals and ...more

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About Deborah O'Brien

Deborah O'Brien

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Deborah O’Brien is an Australian writer, visual artist and teacher. She is the author of four novels for Penguin Random House: the bestselling 'Mr Chen’s Emporium', its sequels, 'The Jade Widow' and 'A Place of Her Own', plus 'The Trivia Man'.

Her latest novel, 'The Rarest Thing' is set in the Victorian High Country in 1966 and is published by Lomandra Press. The signed gift edition print book is ...more