William J Byrne's The Warrumbar

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

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William J Byrne’s debut novel is The Warrumbar.

Robbie’s not so different from the other boys in his class. He loves cricket, school not so much. His Mum is Aboriginal and his Dad is white. They live on the outskirts of town and don’t have much.

When Robbie meets Moses his world is opened up. He learns about The Mission where his Mum grew up, about the world that Moses has seen after enlisting in the army. Moses tells him about life; the mistakes he’s made and how he’s worked to overcome them.

Robbie’s Dad thinks Moses is trouble. They have history and Robbie’s Dad warns him off seeing him. Of course Robbie doesn’t listen, which draws him down to the Dam one fateful day.

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