THE CANE is a thriller PLUS. It is so much more than a typical formulaic who-done-it. It is a sociological study of what happens to a community when a young woman disappears. Rumours abound. Fear spreads. The boyfriend, the local Pacific Islanders, the itinerant workers, the young idealist school teacher are all under suspicion. What might happen to the other young women in town? Who can you trust? Can you even trust that the girl didn’t run away with a lover?
Set in the 1970s in the sugar region of Far North Queensland, it is a time of awakening for Australia. The community’s distress is heightened by the burgeoning views about sexuality, feminism and racism. The girls read The Female Eunuch and The Feminine Mystic. The boys think about going to the city to join protests against the Springboks tour. A traditional way of life is challenged.
Despite it being set in the 1970s, the story feels contemporary. Publisher Allen & Unwin has put THE CANE in the category of Modern and Contemporary Fiction. Queensland born author Maryrose Cuskelly has crafted a fascinating sociological study into a page-turner that resonates today.
The characters are well developed. A young girl newcomer heightens the fears of other girls by explaining what might have happened to the missing girl. An impressionable girl tries desperately to prove she is worthy of attention. The young naïve teacher finds himself in trouble for promoting free thinking. Not a good move in a conservative community. The Senior Constable in charge of the missing girl’s case is a woman, further challenging the old ways. The character development of the father and mother of the missing girl is neatly developed. The author gets into the heads of the girls, the boys, the grieving parents, a jealous police officer, the new teacher and all the others.
The descriptions of the cane industry are intriguing. Fast-growing cane could take over surrounding land. The mechanics of the burn must ensure the ‘burn’ is controlled. Will the fire jump the line? We sense the fascination of the flames and swirling smoke willies. We feel the heat and smell the smoke. The author gives us a real taste of the hard yakka of the cane workers.
The novel is reminiscent of The Summer of the seventeen Doll, Ray Lawler’s play set in the cane fields in 1954. The sugar community pulls together to get a tough job done. Everyone looks out for one another. There is a strong sense of community, goodwill and acceptance of a tough life.
While more than a thriller, THE CANE includes several themes that are predictable. In many murder mysteries, the police arrive to investigate the murder and uncover a previous murder from years before. Their investigation of the recent crime leads to solving the old one. Also predictable is the tension between the young police officer and the older officer she reports to. And then, as in most murder thrillers, a woman and male police officer have a romantic connection.
THE CANE begins with an unidentified older character describing what has happened to town since the girl’s disappearance. This delightful character appears again in the last chapter, book-ending the novel.
Highly recommended.
Allen & Unwin, 2022
ISBN: 978 76087 985 3
RRP : $33.
Review by Carol Dance
