The Copper Crucible: A Novel

by Betty Collins

In an isolated North Queensland mining town, Julie, a young Sydney woman, arrives with her new baby to be with her union delegate husband. Conflict flares up between the workers and the bosses - a tense backdrop to Julie and Nick's increasingly oppressive marriage. Finally Julie must fight for her independence.

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Db Monty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book out of commitment to support political fiction and the preservation of the memories of industrial struggle in Australia. The writing is a bit amateur but the content is rich. The female characters are very memorable. A great insight into life in the inhospitable living and working conditions of 1960s Mount Isa.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sociologically very interesting, looking at the pressures of living in Mount Isa and working at the copper mine. This 1960s novel centres around unionism and has a feminist element. It's all very worthy and fascinating in some respects but not particularly well written.