Childhood at Brindabella: My First Ten Years

by Miles Franklin

Childhood at My First Ten Years

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Classics, Australia, History, Memoir

162 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1979

About the author

Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin was born in 1879 in rural New South Wales. My Brilliant Career , her first novel, was published to much excitement and acclaim. She moved to Sydney where she became involved in feminist and literary circles and then onto the United States of America in 1907.

She was committed to the development of a uniquely Australian form of literature, and she actively pursued this goal by supporting writers, literary journals, and organisations of writers. She has had a long-lasting impact on Australian literary life through her endowment of a major literary award known as the Miles Franklin Award.

Reviews

[Clancy]

It was otherworldly to read a description of the swimming hole I've known almost all my life, described in perfect detail, from the memory of a little girl at the turn of the last century.

I didn't know anything had ever been written about Brindabella, and I was astounded to read that my family property was founded originally by a cousin of the author's mother. Printed there, plain as day.

This isn't a great book, published from what seems to be little more than personal diary-memoir written shortly before Franklin's death. But the closeness of her childhood nostalgia to my own, a century apart, made this captivating and illuminating to read.

The Franklin's still live down there in the valley, many generations on.

[Michael]

Good story ruined by bad writing. Every chapter has at least complex word added for pretentiousness. Author is unable to express herself with simple words. There is also some really odd paragraphs for instance she starts talking apricots in the first sentence and then switches to apples for the rest leading you to scratch your head wondering whether apples are her word for apricots. If this story was told from her perspective as a child, then it would be forgivable to not fully explain why the family moved around- was just the children's educational needs but because its clearly looking back I can't forgive the lack of reasons for the lack of detail about her major parts of her life. At least the chapters are modest and the rest of the writing is good but you have to wonder whether the Mile Franklin Award is actually for inability to write coherently. If it was just that her mind was not sharp at that time of her life then it should have been edited and rewritten by a fully competent author.

[Annie]

Very difficult to read due to poor grammar & long sentences. Didn't really finish.

[Chris Waterford]

I had high hopes for this after reading two of the first books that the author wrote. This book was one of the last she wrote, but had none of the sparkle, delight and charm of her earlier books. Disappointing.

[David Mitchell]

Delightful memories written in a classic style.

[Kyra Geddes]

Most readers will be familiar with (Stella) Miles Franklin's infamous first novel, “My Brilliant Career” (1901), written when she was just a teenager. Yet few will have come across her delightful autobiography, “Childhood at Brindabella”, written not long before her death in 1954 and which captures her first 10 years of life with affection, clear cut clarity and an exquisite eye for detail to provide us with a fascinating glimpse into her corner of the world during the 1880s. “I was born as bald as an ostrich egg,” Franklin pronounces without a hint of shame. “The rhythm of horses came to me earlier than walking.” The rural country setting of her home is depicted as an unspoiled natural wonderland: “there were no diseases in fruits or vegetables. Australia was as yet an uninfected and but slightly-infested heaven.” Franklin also reveals herself to have been a highly unusual and precocious child with a wit, intelligence and acid-sharp tongue that continued to get her in trouble for the rest of her life. Fantastic reading, highly recommended!

[Michelle]

Oh gosh….. I shouldn’t be writing anything here…. This is Miles Franklin !
It’s not an easy read. I’ll just say that I guess no one felt qualified enough to risk a little editing.
It gets 4 stars for interesting content….
And what a shame that environmental conservation didn’t exist back then….. well, of course it did with our First Nation peoples….but definitely not for the likes of the Franklins.

[Denise Rawling]

I am no lover of My Brilliant Career. It is so well known and esteemed so I approached with interest but found so much irritating and grating - both the heroine and the writing annoyingly juvenile.
I get that it is historically important both as a memoir and as an illustration of the position of women.
This was much more enjoyable for me. The anger and noise of the earlier book is tempered here with genuine affection for place and people.

[Malvina]

A delightful memoir of Miles Franklin's idyllic childhood, particularly when at her grandmother's busy and fruitful property. She was surrounded by many fond relatives and untold animals, and fed a wonderful diet of fresh fruit and vegetables they had grown, along with oodles of eggs and meat. It all sounds very happy.

[Greg Robinson]

engaging partial autobiography from a non-self-obsessed author; well clever wordsmith

[Jeremy]

Growing up in the Canberra district in the 1880s. What a wonderful childhood!

[Helena]

Not a smooth read - confusing at times. I wonder if she didn't want it edited, it would have helped.

[Steven Wong]

Interesting biography of miles franklin (a famous Australian author in the early 90s).
Great for some insights into bush living in the early 90s.
Prose a-bit archaic and verbose IMHO.