Review: Rural Dreams by Margaret Hickey

The Australian rural landscape can be harsh, beautiful and often isolating. In her debut collection of short stories, Margaret Hickey explores this landscape and the many people and unique situations within. There's the footballer who leaves the city behind to go home every weekend, the terminally ill mother who thinks that the Gold Coast is the best place in the world and who has trouble seeing eye-to-eye with her Melbourne born and bred daughter-in-law, and a bloke who just likes birds who arouses suspicion in others. 

Author Margaret Hickey's talent lies not only in creating believable characters and situations, but adding some kind of a twist to the story that, while always unexpected, is nearly always fitting. A particular highlight for me, however, was Mind Your Language, about a single mum who swears often but who quite beautifully teaches the school principal a thing or two about politeness. 

Overall this is an enjoyable collection, with an eclectic mix of characters and situations.

Recommended. 

This book was read for the Aussie Author Challenge 2020.