Book Review: The Long Walk by Kate Greenwood
An Australian Junior Fiction Novel set during the Great Depression
Jan 30, 2008
The junior fiction novel The Long Walk (Hodder, 2004) by Kate Greenwood tells the story of Isa Wyatt and her family.
The Long Walk Plot Summary
Isa’s father is working on the construction of the Great Ocean Road and has not been in contact with his family for some time. Isa’s mother works hard as a cleaner, struggling with ill health and providing for her four children. Even though only 12 years old, Isa is already an accomplished seamstress and takes in mending and sewing work to help support her family. Her 10-year-old brother Johnno has a paper run and collects and sells bottles and 5-year-old Rosie is in charge of collecting eggs from their chickens to sell at the local store. The whole family, but particularly Isa, take care of 3-year-old Billy.
The Wyatts are a close family, obviously bound together by great affection for each other and also by their struggles to provide enough food and adequate shelter. Isa is close to her father and misses his presence at home. She is very aware of appearances and the difference between the classes as her family endures the deprivations of the time.
The family struggles along until Isa’s mother becomes ill and must be hospitalised. She is discovered to have tuberculosis and must be sent to a hospital facility in the Blue Mountains for six months to aid her recovery. The authorities wish to separate the children and send them to orphanages, but Isa makes up a story about an Auntie Kate and convinces the child services official to allow her to take her younger siblings to her aunt’s house instead.
Set During the Great Depression
Thus begins the real adventure for Isa, Johnno, Rosie and Billy. Their travels from their home in the suburbs of Melbourne to find their father, maintaining the fiction of searching for their Auntie Kate, take them through suburban and rural Australia during the time of the Great Depression. The hardship experienced by the families they meet is very real, but the generally optimistic attitude and willingness to help the children demonstrates the sense of comradeship and compassion for anyone who is struggling that is the basis of the Australian character.
The children do encounter difficulties along the way, most particularly in the devious pair of men Walchett and Collins. Isa remains calm and practical throughout, dealing with each difficulty and crisis as it arises. The conclusion of the story is surprising and touching and despite her maturity in handling her family’s difficult situation, it is reassuring to see Isa react as a 12-year-old girl in the final pages.
The Long Walk for Children
Isa's determination to find her father and love for her siblings makes for a gentle adventure story and an interesting insight into life for poverty stricken families of the time. Her knowledge of household skills and her down to earth practicality are in contrast to the lives and experiences of modern children and provide an interesting lesson in the way our Australian and western culture has changed.
The journey through the Australian bush setting and the many people that assist the children on their quest will make this an interesting read for children aged 9+ and adults alike. The Long Walk is a very enjoyable glimpse into Australian history and the pride and determination that enabled many families to endure the Great Depression.
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