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The Great Inland Sea
Day's mother died with her eyes wide open in 1947, near Maude, New South Wales. No doctor was called. Day watched his father drop her body into the red earth wrapped in a feed sack. He was only twelve. When he rode up Muddy Gates Lane, away from there, he didn't know that he was leaving, but he was sure he wasn't coming back. Day's journey took him to America, traveling as groom for a horse called Unusual. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland he meets Callie, who wants to be the world's first woman jockey. There is no doubt in her eyes, she knows about things that Day has never seen. He is stranded by a love for Callie that takes him back to the harshness of his childhood in Australia, to the dark secrets of his family. An exquisitely crafted and poignant story that reveals David Francis as a writer with an extraordinary gift for language.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
David Francis
150 books15 followersDavid Francis, based in Los Angeles where he works for the Norton Rose Fulbright law firm, spends part of each year back on his family’s farm in Australia. He is the author of The Great Inland Sea, published to acclaim in seven countries, and Stray Dog Winter, Book of the Year in The Advocate, winner of the American Library Association Barbara Gittings Prize for Literature, and a LAMBDA Literary Award Finalist. He has taught creative writing at UCLA, Occidental College, and in the Masters of Professional Writing program at USC. His short fiction and articles have appeared in publications including Harvard Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Southern California Review, Best Australian Stories, Australian Love Stories, and The Rattling Wall. He is Vice President of PEN Center USA.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 17, 2021
'Her fingers were cold and steady, they traced the shapes in my face. It wasn't all that I wanted , but it was more than enough'
There were many things I really enjoyed about this novel, and yet a lot of things brought it down for me- particularly the way sexual assault was addressed. Many aspects of this book seemed lacking in detail to me and I felt at times the way it was told to be all over the place.
I did like the writing though- particularly the descriptions of country. The relationship between Callie and Day was fairly well developed.
There were many things I really enjoyed about this novel, and yet a lot of things brought it down for me- particularly the way sexual assault was addressed. Many aspects of this book seemed lacking in detail to me and I felt at times the way it was told to be all over the place.
I did like the writing though- particularly the descriptions of country. The relationship between Callie and Day was fairly well developed.
March 21, 2015
I don't usually give such good ratings but Agapanthus Tango really blew me away and completely exceeded my expectations. It was an exceptionally well-written and well-crafted novel, about life, love, relationships, identity, and the past.
The story follows Day's journey of discovering his past and understanding what happened to his mother, and why. The first part of the book alternates between his present life in America and flashbacks of his youth, setting a perfect atmosphere of mystery which will gradually be resolved throughout the book. The second and third parts of the book are fairly linear and are the parts during which Day fills in the gaps of his childhood, through revisiting his father at the farm, their friend Leonie, as well as their other friend Dickie. I found this structure to be very appropriate to the story: the mystery is set from the very beginning and as we move through the book, we learn more about the characters and their past.
I appreciated all of the characters. They all seemed very real, they were given real depths, complex psychologies, all had their own story, no cliches. They were all pretty fascinating characters, really. Even the way they talked was individual - no two characters sounded the same. The characters were very well constructed, each had their flaws and qualities. I thought they were very human.
What struck me at first with the book was the lack of dialogue. Now I realise that this was for the better. We can almost say that the dialogue is much more powerful because there is so little of it. Every sentence a character says is very important and truly reflects their personality.
The small amount of dialogue did not by any means make the book any less boring. What counteracted that was the writing itself, the descriptions of the places, the eloquently phrased thoughts of Day. That, for me, was the best aspect of the book: simply, how it was written. The language was varied, beautiful, descriptive, emotive. Every sentence sounded so amazing, as if the words had been so carefully chosen, but it wasn't pretentious either. David Francis used simple words and made a piece of art out of them.
Another aspect that I liked is that it wasn't over-dramatic. I hate dramatic drama, and it doesn't even feel real. It wasn't the case in this book. From the characters' relationships to one another, to their reactions to some of the events that happen - nothing felt forced or overdone - just perfect.
Finally, Callie and Day's relationship is beautiful and refreshingly honest. Since the topic of this book is NOT romantic love, there isn't any of that. Rather than romance, there is just love: understanding, respect, patience.
I adored this book. Even though the story itself was a little dark and saddening, the characters were so very well constructed that it felt very real. But most of all, the writing itself was just splendid and beautiful and amazing, and I fell in love with David Francis' style. I recommend this book for anyone who loves well-written novels, and who enjoy reading realistic fiction about personal identity.
The story follows Day's journey of discovering his past and understanding what happened to his mother, and why. The first part of the book alternates between his present life in America and flashbacks of his youth, setting a perfect atmosphere of mystery which will gradually be resolved throughout the book. The second and third parts of the book are fairly linear and are the parts during which Day fills in the gaps of his childhood, through revisiting his father at the farm, their friend Leonie, as well as their other friend Dickie. I found this structure to be very appropriate to the story: the mystery is set from the very beginning and as we move through the book, we learn more about the characters and their past.
I appreciated all of the characters. They all seemed very real, they were given real depths, complex psychologies, all had their own story, no cliches. They were all pretty fascinating characters, really. Even the way they talked was individual - no two characters sounded the same. The characters were very well constructed, each had their flaws and qualities. I thought they were very human.
What struck me at first with the book was the lack of dialogue. Now I realise that this was for the better. We can almost say that the dialogue is much more powerful because there is so little of it. Every sentence a character says is very important and truly reflects their personality.
The small amount of dialogue did not by any means make the book any less boring. What counteracted that was the writing itself, the descriptions of the places, the eloquently phrased thoughts of Day. That, for me, was the best aspect of the book: simply, how it was written. The language was varied, beautiful, descriptive, emotive. Every sentence sounded so amazing, as if the words had been so carefully chosen, but it wasn't pretentious either. David Francis used simple words and made a piece of art out of them.
Another aspect that I liked is that it wasn't over-dramatic. I hate dramatic drama, and it doesn't even feel real. It wasn't the case in this book. From the characters' relationships to one another, to their reactions to some of the events that happen - nothing felt forced or overdone - just perfect.
Finally, Callie and Day's relationship is beautiful and refreshingly honest. Since the topic of this book is NOT romantic love, there isn't any of that. Rather than romance, there is just love: understanding, respect, patience.
I adored this book. Even though the story itself was a little dark and saddening, the characters were so very well constructed that it felt very real. But most of all, the writing itself was just splendid and beautiful and amazing, and I fell in love with David Francis' style. I recommend this book for anyone who loves well-written novels, and who enjoy reading realistic fiction about personal identity.
February 3, 2011
The Great Inland Sea is the outback of New South Wales and it's not a happy or hospitable place. OBTW Day, the principal character, can't swim either so factor that into your metaphorical allusions. Day, as a young boy flees from Australia and a rather traumatic upbringing and escapes to America. He sells his horse to escape his home and ends up training and grooming them in America where he meets his troubled soulmate-Callie. Lots of family secrets in this dysfunctional family. This is a rather haunting and sad book as Day is drawn to a woman who won't acknowledge his love. They chase each other across the USA and Mexico and finally come together in Australia, where it all started. This book reminded me of Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time only because of the degree of shock and surprise at some of the dark secrets and behavior of the family. This would make a good movie.
July 30, 2019
Love is a raw current capable of derailing and frying everyone it sparks, as The Great Inland Sea makes manifest. David Francis’s poetically spare novel spins out threads of infatuation and obsession and follows those skeins as they unravel in a topography that will enervate any heart unfortunate enough to cozy up there. Whether that environment is the harsh Australian outback or rogue horseracing tracks of 1950s Maryland and Delaware, life insists it must go on without you connecting with any straightforward meaningful intent to the people who should mean the most to you. All the truest hearts pump pale thin blood; hearts so pure would clog on the rich, red romance we so desire.
February 27, 2011
The prose in this short novel is taut and spare, so much so that much of the story has to be deduced from intelligent guesswork.
All the characters are damaged, but Darwin, the narrator's father on his deathbed seems the most human. Day's mother, a gentle and cultured Viennese Jew, married him in Europe, and went mad in the Australian outback. What seemed to Day to be cruelty was Darwin's inept way of caring for her.
The plot shifts between Maude in the Riverina and Frances on the horse circuit in the US; some of the symmetries seem a bit forced but it's an interesting first novel and Francis looks like a promising author.
All the characters are damaged, but Darwin, the narrator's father on his deathbed seems the most human. Day's mother, a gentle and cultured Viennese Jew, married him in Europe, and went mad in the Australian outback. What seemed to Day to be cruelty was Darwin's inept way of caring for her.
The plot shifts between Maude in the Riverina and Frances on the horse circuit in the US; some of the symmetries seem a bit forced but it's an interesting first novel and Francis looks like a promising author.
March 20, 2012
I'm still thinking about this book. It surprised me. I did not expect to enjoy a book, despite its incredibly well-described detail and images, that seemed to take place in the East Coast horse world of 1950s. It quickly went backwards in time and grabbed me, with the story of immigrants/pioneers in Australia's outback desert. The sad luck stories and traits with which Francis imbues his characters create a terrific piece of literature. I got wrapped up in the (mainly) awful lives of his characters and what they managed to do--and not do--to connect with each other.
June 22, 2008
I met the author David Francis at my yoga class. Since then we've become good friends. He is a great author and this is a start to great career in fictional writing. He's a lawyer turned writer. Very touching story.
Want to Read
June 15, 2009A lyrical novel published by SF-based MacAdam Cage that is set where I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It's about training and riding horses. I met the author, an Australian lawyer, at a reading downtown a few years ago. I've been meaning to read this ever since. Maybe this summer??
August 12, 2013
Lyrical story of a young boy who was aware of his father's cruelty to his mother while she was dying. They live with so many secrets and he must visit his father when he's old to discover the truth before he can seriously start his own life journey.
August 5, 2016
Just okay. The book is well written: the descriptions of the rugged Australian setting are poetic and deeply evocative(and were by far my favorite part of the book) but the story and characters just didn't grab me. Not one I would ever re-read.
November 28, 2010
I loved this little gem. Spare, capturing scenes, emotions, relationships in a beautiful way. Maybe not a 5, but above a 4!
January 23, 2011
This was our first book club book and I chose it. The story was okay.
May 29, 2022
Non decolla mai.
Want to Read
November 18, 2009boy falls in love, spends years uncovering mystery of dead mother and dying father
April 2, 2017
This novel is so quiet in some ways, but was also incredibly compelling. Lots of tension Francis stretches between the plain words in taut sentences. I had to look up many new words, like "billabong" (a dry creek bed or a pool of water separated from the rest of a river). Lots of words to do with horses and riding tack. The story is told by a young boy, Day, who escapes the outback after his seemingly cold father has perhaps (it's not really clear) killed his mother. His mother is crazy, but rather than send her to a hospital the father ties her to a bed with restraints and puts in palette (which was made for a horse) in her mouth to prevent her screaming or speaking. The part about he palette in her mouth is transfixing in its brutality and its inhumanity. It's a hook that helped pull me right into the story and find out if Day will survive having witnessed his mother treated this way.
Another incredible thing about this novel is that it's told by Day in present tense. Even though the time period in the novel stretches over 10 years or so it's all in present tense.
A passage from an early memory of beauty and joy with his mother:
"Fresh water had seeped up from an eye in the earth below the reeds and split out over the sand like a tongue of honey. I knelt on all fours at the edge, I was a wallaby drinking."
Another incredible thing about this novel is that it's told by Day in present tense. Even though the time period in the novel stretches over 10 years or so it's all in present tense.
A passage from an early memory of beauty and joy with his mother:
"Fresh water had seeped up from an eye in the earth below the reeds and split out over the sand like a tongue of honey. I knelt on all fours at the edge, I was a wallaby drinking."
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews