Kal

by Judy Nunn

Kalgoorlie. It grew out of the red dust of the desert over the world's richest vein of gold. Like the gold it guarded, Kalgoorlie was a magnet to anyone with a sense of adventure, anyone who could dream. People were drawn there from all over the world, settling to start afresh or to seek their fortunes. They called it Kal; it was a place where dreams came true or were lost forever in the dust. It could reward you or it could destroy you, but it would never let you go. You staked you claim in Kal and Kal staked its claim in you. In a story as breathtaking and as sweeping as the land itself, bestselling author Judy Nunn brings Kal magically to life through the lives of two families, one Australian and one Italian. The Australian family are the Brearleys: Maudie, who runs the miners' pub in Kalgoorlie and who was brought up in a tent on the goldfields; her husband 'Flash Harry' Brearley, charismatic conman and shyster; and his young son, Jack. The Italian family are the Giannis, railway workers from a small village in the Italian Alps, who dream of making a better life for themselves 'at the bottom of the world' after they hear about the Western Australian goldrush of the late 1880s. Rico, the elder brother, is a larger-than-life bull of a man, very protective of his sensitive younger brother Giovanni, a handsome dreamer. When the rich and frustrated widow Serena di Cretico spies Giovanni, she pursues him relentlessly, and they begin having an affair. Giovanni is terrified of her powerful landowner brothers-in-law, and tries to end the relationship, but she tells him if he attempts to do so, she will tell them he raped her. Rico and Giovanni decide they must leave as soon as they can, as the de Cretico brothers are bound to hear about the affair and come after Giovanni. Before their plans can be carried out, the brothers strike, killing Serena and storming the miners' camp in search of Giovanni, who is actually down in the village. Believing Rico to be Giovanni, they break both his knees with iron bars. Rico takes Giovanni's terrible punishment in silence, and is crippled for life. Guilt-stricken, Giovanni is persuaded by Rico to take their savings and sail to Western Australia to prepare the way for Rico and his family.Gio works like a dog for several years and is evenually joined by Rico, his wife Teresa and their young family. Rico is severely crippled, with an awkward swinging gait and has become terribly bitter and defensive about his disability. His aggression often leads to violence, particularly in Kalgoorlie, where the Australian population resents the invasion of 'dago' miners who are prepared to work longer hours for less pay and are taking all the jobs. Rico and Giovanni go into partnership with Harry Brearley, who owns a mine called the Clover, where the brothers work hard and start making a go of things. Then out of the blue they hear that Harry has sold their mine. He had led them to believe they were equal partners with him, but because neither could read, the actual contract was for them to be working partners with Harry for as long as he kept the mine. The brothers feel betrayed and murderous, and a terrible vendetta is started between the Brearleys and the Giannis that is not resolved until years later when Harry's son Jack and Rico's son Enrico find themselves fighting alongside each other at Gallipoli. After experiencing the trauma of war, the two resolve to end the vendetta if they ever return to Kal. Only one does, but he returns to Kal at the end of World War I to find a town riven by racism and rioting. The climax of Kal is extraordinarily moving and vivid, and will stay with readers forever. Apart from telling the story of the two families over two generations, Kal is also a moving love story and a page-turning action adventure novel. From the heady, early days of the gold rush to the horrors of the First World War in Gallipoli and France, to the shame and confrontation of the post-war riots

Genres: Historical Fiction, Australia, Fiction

611 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Judy Nunn (born 13 April 1945) is an Australian actress and author.

Judy Nunn's career has been long, illustrious and multifaceted. After combining her internationally successful acting career with scriptwriting for television and radio, Judy decided in the 80s to turn her hand to prose. The result was two adventure novels for children, EYE IN THE STORM and EYE IN THE CITY, which remain extremely popular, not only in Australia but in Europe. Embarking on adult fiction in the early 90s, Judy's three novels, THE GLITTER GAME, CENTRE STAGE and ARALUEN, set respectively in the worlds of television, theatre and film, became instant bestsellers. Her subsequent bestsellers, KAL, BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS, TERRITORY, PACIFIC, HERITAGE and FLOODTIDE confirm her position as one of Australia’s leading popular novelists.

Reviews

[Liza Perrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story by Judy Nunn, full of Australian history and a sweeping family saga. Full review to follow ...
My review: Kal tells the story of two families spanning two generations: Giovanni flees the Italian Alps after his part in a family tragedy and Caterina is banished to the other side of the world in order to protect her family’s honour. Both of them end up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australian town that sprouted up from the red desert dust and the world’s richest vein of gold in the late 1880s. Kalgoorlie was a place for people looking for adventure; a place to start life anew and possibly find one’s fortune in gold. Here the Italians cross paths with the Australian Brearley family: Maudie, who runs a miners’ pub and her husband Harry, charismatic conman, and his son, Jack.

The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.

Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.

A rollicking great read!

[Thomas Greenbank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because a fellow author said my novel GOLD! reminded him of it. (Thanks, Lewis) Both Kal and GOLD! were set mainly in Kalgoorlie and both stories were centred around gold mining.

I had trouble getting into Kal at first, but persevered and by the time I was into chapter two, where the action moved from Italy to Western Australia I was invested. Unfortunately, I had to put it aside for a few days and when I returned I just couldn't get interested again.

Ms Nunn obviously did a lot of research on this book. The amount of historical background and facts on the mining industry in the era it was set in is extensive. The problem, to me, was that facts and settings alone do not make for a gripping story. Try as I may, I found this book to be slow and plodding. Long on descriptions and settings but short on action, (with a few notable exceptions)

Maybe it gets better. I hope so. I just didn't have the inclination to find out. I read about 25% of this book, so maybe some would say I shouldn't be writing a review. Nevertheless, It's my opinion that as a writer, Ms Nunn makes a damn fine actress.
My rating is two stars for the story and the telling, and a bonus one star for diligence in research.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Find gold for me at the bottom of the world.’

Two generations of two families feature in this huge novel about Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The novel opens in 1892 in Italy, and ends in Kalgoorlie after the involvement of some characters in World War I. The Brearleys are an Australian family: Maudie was brought up in a tent on the goldfields, and now runs a pub in Kalgoorlie. Her husband ‘Flash Harry’ is an opportunist, always looking for an angle. And there’s his young son, Jack. The Giannis are an Italian family, drawn to ‘the bottom of the world’ in the hope of a better life. There are two Gianni brothers: Rico and Giovanni, and the story of how they came to Australia is quite convoluted. Caterina, a young woman from the same area of Italy, is banished to Australia. She also ends up in Kalgoorlie. Coincidence is marvellous.

But once in Australia, the Giannis are not always well treated. Rico has a hair-trigger temper which often leads to violence. The Giannis enter into a partnership with Harry Brearley in a mine called the Clover. Then just as they are getting ahead, Harry Brearley sells the mine. The brothers though they were equal partners but find that they were not. Harry’s action starts a feud between the families. And you’ll need to read the novel for yourself to see how it is all resolved.

‘Kalgoorlie will become a city of substance, a city in its own right, not dependent on gold alone.’

This big novel was just what I needed to read during a couple of very hot days when any more strenuous activity was beyond me. This story was sometimes enjoyable and frequently predictable. It was also inhabited by an interesting blend of (mainly) awful characters. I didn’t really get a great sense of Kalgoorlie from the novel: I was too busy focussed on which awful characters would do what (and to whom) next. It’s part love story and part adventure but it never really grabbed me the way that ‘Tiger Men’ did.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might come back to it one day.
If I do, it will be a real book, not audio. The readers version of an Italian accent made them sound... unintelligent and simplistic. The accents used for kids and (sometimes)women were... odd.

I was nonplussed when it started in Italy, because I felt all fired up for a book set in Kalgoorlie, so that was a slow start. Then I became wholly absorbed in the story set in Italy and as soon as I was completely invested... Off we zoomed to Kalgoorlie and a whole new set of characters.

It was a stop and start reading experience, and around about the time the brother comes out from Italy and turns out to be a lying a*hole, I decided the whole thing was too depressing for my frame of mind.

I well might revisit it, but the voices inside my head do one hell of a better Italian accent, so I will not be trying the audiobook again.

[Bill Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book really enjoyed country & characters & story telling. Best book I've read of Judy Nunn.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I think the ending was perfect and Judy Nunn did an amazing job describing Kal

[Bookmuseuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kal tells the story of two families spanning two generations: Giovanni flees the Italian Alps after his part in a family tragedy and Caterina is banished to the other side of the world in order to protect her family’s honour. Both of them end up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australian town that sprouted up from the red desert dust and the world’s richest vein of gold in the late 1880s. Kalgoorlie was a place for people looking for adventure; a place to start life anew and possibly find one’s fortune in gold. Here the Italians cross paths with the Australian Brearley family: Maudie, who runs a miners’ pub and her husband Harry, charismatic conman, and his son, Jack.

The Australian population of Kalgoolie resents the hardworking Italian miners, and a terrible, life-long vendetta is ignited between the two families when the Italians feel they have been cheated out of their mine.

Apart from the tale of these two families, Kal is also a moving romance and a suspense-infused adventure story. With its twists and turns, the plot is rich in characters, and brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of Kalgoorlie and its goldfields, the desolate and unforgiving landscape, WW1 and Gallipoli, and the people whose lives were shaped by these events, both in Australia and in Europe.

A rollicking great read!

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, if you're looking for a super sized 'Mills and Boon' type novel. Look no further.

Here you'll find page upon page of heavy drama, "romance" and predictability.

[Crt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as her previous books. Just seemed to end abruptly

[Lyn Ambrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fits the genre of historical fiction. It tells the story of two generations of two families living in Kalgoorlie from the late 1880s until after World War I ends. It commences with Caterina and Giovanni momentarily meeting in the Italian Alps. Giovanni leaves Italy and heads to the goldfields of Kalgoorlie after a family tragedy involving his brother. Around the same time Caterina is forced to leave Italy to save her family's honour. 'Coincidentally' they both end up in Kalgoorlie where Giovanni's brother and his family also move for adventure and the opportunity to start a new life.

Life in the difficult dry outback of the gold rich town of Kalgoorlie and the harsh reality of life for many of its women is bought to life by the author. It speaks of the history of gold and the fortunes, hard work and disappointments faced. There are splendid characters and there are some awful characters in the book. The brothels are aplenty in this male dominated town and there is one Australian family who Giovanni and his brother grow to dislike immensely.

Italians in general are not trusted to work in the goldfields and furthermore not welcomed by Australians in Kalgoorlie. Giovanni can cope with this but his brother cannot. He has a short temper and is unforgiving. The more likeable Giovanni recognises Caterina as the girl he met in the Italian Alps but she is married with a family and keeps the fact that she knows him, to herself.

The story that follows is one of hope, love, fights, hatred and more. Friendships forged in Kal are taken to Europe during World War I, after which Kalgoorlie welcomes back those who return alive from the western front to the aftermath of women having to cope on their own with so many men away fighting.

I loved this saga and appreciated the history of Kalgoorlie after visiting it a few years ago. I walked the dusty streets and even visited one of its brothels to gain an insight into what life must have been like during the gold rush years. The author did not disappoint.

[Jorden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An atmospheric story Kal tells the tale of two families making a life in the red dust gold town of Kalgoorlie. The Giovanni’s escaped Italy to get rich down under after a violent altercation leaves one of the brothers crippled and full of dangerous rage. While the Brearley’s have made themselves a success in Kal through Maudie’s hard work with her pub and a little con artistry from Harry. An unequal partnership between the two families creates a violent feud that carries through the generations as the families try to battle the beast of Kal that can make or destroy you.

Sweeping the Gold Rush to the First World War Judy Nunn does a fantastic job of mixing fact with fiction to create super readable Australian history novels. Somehow desolate and beautiful at the same time, lovers of the outback I think you’ll find yourself completely transported to another time and place.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely engaging saga sweeping across decades, beginning in Italy and ending in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about these people and the mining town of Kalgoorlie. Two families, one Italian and one Australian are brought together as we follow their lives through happiness and tragedy. I loved reading about the history of Kalgoorlie as it unfolded and the passions and heartache of those who lived there. A book I didn't want to put down nor indeed come to an end, as I was so involved with the characters lives. A joy to read and highly recommended.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book as my grandmother grew up in Kalgoorlie at the turn of the century. Many of the things she described: the shortage of water, the harsh life for women and the way children made their own fun are included in this family saga. As with many of Judy Nunn's books, their are too many coincidences especially involving the romantic relationships, however it is worth reading for the way she captures life on the gold fields in this harsh part of Australia.

[Andy Daykin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book for a few reasons, but mostly because Judy Nunn skillfully crafts a setting that becomes the real star of the show. Of course the tale itself wending its way from Italy to Australia through Boston, Galipoli and the Somme following the fortunes of the Brearleys and the Giannis keeps the reader involved and the number of coincidences, whilst far fetched actually added to the pleasure of the saga.

I would recommend this book as a good read.

[Rae Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 parts spanning the years 1892 - 1914 and 2 generations of families.
This is a classic Judy Nunn Australian saga wrapped in history.
Kal tells the story of migrants coming to Kalgoorlie for the gold rush and the struggles they have with racial difficulties.
Then the sons of the migrants going to war in Gallipoli.

[Alana Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild west gold rush town of Kalgoorlie where a man can make his fortune. Where a man can meet his maker. Roughing it to get rich quick while supporting your family all the while coming from a totally different country is a harsh reality. How did they do it?

[Dzintra aka Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful read by Judy Nunn.....great Storytelling! What a fabulous movie this would make telling the story of the mining days in Kalgoorlie....the Europeans working there and how it was for them....the War....even Boston comes into it as do the Italian Alps! So much!

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a heavy stint of non-fiction I thought it was time to read some mindless fiction. This wasn't too bad but really not the greatest of books. I think this style of book has been done to death personally.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - could’ve been shorter

[Carmel McCartin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, a great story from a great Aussie storyteller

[Lin Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

excellent book

[Jackie Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the storyline

[Kerri Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was late to the Judy Nunn book club but this book just sold me on her characters, her sense of story and place that just envelops you as a reader. Give me more!

[Tinamariee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about intertwined families and their daily lives in Kal during the gold rush days and historic moments of that time.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book

[Nikki Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read some time ago but enjoyed Judy Nunn's description of Australian life .

[Denise Tannock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited Kalgoorlie recently, this novel was especially interesting. It would seem that Judy has done a huge amount of research as the novel is authentic and so interesting.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of this Author. A fascinating story of the early gold mining times in Kalgoorlie. It tells the story of two families their trials successes and love for the land

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read will try and read more judy nunn books

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried to listen to this as an audio book as I am interested in the Kalgoorlie/ Coolgardie gold rush era. But I cannot persist. Just awful.