This book tries to do a lot, but I think it does not quite make it. I love all the plant references, those the first quarter of the book is where these references are most prevalent. The voyage to Australia seems a little bit gimmicky, but maybe the author needed a place that could support the flood scene in a believably way. The Australia section made the book seem more "epic" than it is.

There were times the narrative jumped or swerved so quickly I had to re-read to figure out what was going on; that was annoying, especially when other times the details were explicit and descriptive. I also did not understand the random descriptions of the characters back in Ottawa -- what purpose was that serving?

Characters I liked: The father, the son, the neighbours, the Australian boy, Rowan, maybe Holly. Very much disliked (and did not understand) Charlotte or the old lady in Ottawa (Judy? not sure what her relationship was to Sonny).

Interesting juxtapositions of the Canadian referendum with Australia, and the movie set with life.

Not nearly as good as Broken Ground, but interesting to set a totally different novel in the same geographical setting 50+ years later. ( )

This novel was unusual. It did not have the predictable plot arc that I have read in so much contemporary fiction. The book jacket reads, "Sometimes a great novel about life can only come out of a lifetime's experience. Perhaps a writer needs to have lived widely and deeply to produce his finest work." As I read, I felt I was reading a differently-shaped book than I have read before--turning, snaking, with small offshoots of event and description that don't necessarily lead anywhere important. It was a relief to read something that breathed as naturally as this book. ( )