The Tao of shepherding /
Donnelly, John, 1963-
The Tao of shepherding / John Donnelly. - 410 pages ; 22 cm
Explores the experiences of two Chinese bonded labourers in Australia prior to the goldrush years of the 1850s. The pair are indentured to a squatter in the Riverina and must grapple with the cultural dislocation between the British and the Aborigines in a new country. Their beliefs in Taoism are questioned and reinforced. "Eating the food of the white devils is the least of Shiu Pi's concerns on his arrival in a new land. Kidnapped from the refinement of his home in China, Shiu Pi is sent to colonial Australia to work as a shepherd under the vast sky of the Riverina. Accompanied by Angee, a gambler and pragmatist accustomed to the back-alleys of China, Shiu Pi's voyage is one of revelation. Convinced that they are on a journey to hell, they debate and interpret a series of terrifying experiences. The lives of the white devils - the squatters and settlers - under whose command they labour, are beyond understanding. As outsiders, Shiu Pi and Angee are drawn to the indigenous people who share their fate at the hands of their masters. Ultimately, their combined wisdom leads them to embrace their alienation in this unforgiving land as the foundation of their friendship."--BOOK JACKET.
1740760913 9781740760911
Chinese--Australia--Fiction
Australia--History--1788-1851--Fiction.
PR9619.3.D644 / T36 2005
823.92
The Tao of shepherding / John Donnelly. - 410 pages ; 22 cm
Explores the experiences of two Chinese bonded labourers in Australia prior to the goldrush years of the 1850s. The pair are indentured to a squatter in the Riverina and must grapple with the cultural dislocation between the British and the Aborigines in a new country. Their beliefs in Taoism are questioned and reinforced. "Eating the food of the white devils is the least of Shiu Pi's concerns on his arrival in a new land. Kidnapped from the refinement of his home in China, Shiu Pi is sent to colonial Australia to work as a shepherd under the vast sky of the Riverina. Accompanied by Angee, a gambler and pragmatist accustomed to the back-alleys of China, Shiu Pi's voyage is one of revelation. Convinced that they are on a journey to hell, they debate and interpret a series of terrifying experiences. The lives of the white devils - the squatters and settlers - under whose command they labour, are beyond understanding. As outsiders, Shiu Pi and Angee are drawn to the indigenous people who share their fate at the hands of their masters. Ultimately, their combined wisdom leads them to embrace their alienation in this unforgiving land as the foundation of their friendship."--BOOK JACKET.
1740760913 9781740760911
Chinese--Australia--Fiction
Australia--History--1788-1851--Fiction.
PR9619.3.D644 / T36 2005
823.92