Rudra is an Indian-Australian boy at a crossroads, poised to step into the world of adulthood and to discover his cultural heritage and how that might truly define him. A wonderful exploration of dual heritage, cultural identity, family and the power of storytelling.
The sea is inside his blood. Cursed, or blessed, on both sides.
When sixteen-year-old Rudra Solace dredges up a long-hidden secret in his father's trawl net, his life in the sleepy fishing village of Patonga shifts dramatically. It is not long before Rudra is leaving Australia behind, bound for India on a journey of discovery and danger.
A wonderfully compelling tale of belonging and loss, of saltwater and mangroves, of migration and accepting change; a story of decisions that, once made, break through family histories like a cyclone swell.
The Honeyman and the Hunter is a brilliant journey of discovery and identity that spans two continents and vastly different cultures.
Sixteen-year-old Rudra has been raised in a small Australian fishing village by a violent father and his victimised Indian-born mother. But when his elderly grandmother arrives unexpectedly from India, things change. She was sure her university educated daughter would have achieved more and maintains hope for Rudra. She tells him of his heritage and stories of his ancestors and family tree.
However, when his father’s net captures a long hidden secret in the bay and his grandmother dies, Rudra is taken by his Mum to India to right some wrongs and discover his family heritage.
This is a wonderfully written, intricately detailed story of identity, similar to Neil’s award winning Ink Bridge. Such a shame it has been six years between these great books!
It closely examines family, culture, belonging, and important life decisions as Rudra is a teen facing the future and his journey towards adulthood. Ideally suited to all readers 14 and older.
Reviewed by Rob