Book Review: Slow Catastrophes

Originally posted on 28th February, 2019

Rebecca Jones’ earlier writings include an academic article titled, “Blended Voices: Crafting a Narrative from Oral History Interviews”.   In ‘Slow Catastrophes’ she has crafted a narrative, not from oral histories, but from farm diaries.  Not merely a narrative, either, but a thought-provoking, heart-warming narrative that evidences the strength of character of rural Australians facing drought.

‘Slow Catastrophes’ presents a picture of living with drought, on two levels:  in the first section of the book, “Drought Stories”, Jones describes 7 farm families, blending their observations of drought with other farm and personal observations and data.  The droughts and the families span most of the twentieth century, and although the book’s title refers to Australia, there is a strong focus on Victoria. The diary excerpts reveal the characteristic stoicism of Australian farmers.  Jones seamlessly includes the historic overview necessary for us to fully understand the picture of drought in Australian life and the strength that underpins living with drought.

In the second section of the book, “Living with Drought”, Jones picks up the threads from these seven stories and divides them into intellectual, practical and physical and emotional responses to drought.  A wonderful chapter in this section is titled, “The Feeling of Drought” and includes quotes about the smell and sound of drought.

I came to ‘Slow Catastrophes’ seeking material for my research into the lives of farming families over 120 years in one small corner of Victoria’s Mallee, thinking to find data such as the number and extent of droughts, the number of young men who left farms for the battlefields of WW 1 and 2; in other words, with a quite specific and narrow focus on the impact of drought.  I found myself absorbed by Jones’ narrative, and by the personalities of her subjects.  I came away stimulated to look more deeply at the rural experience, and to ask more questions about the lives of my subjects and how their characters were formed by the vagaries of climate.

This book is highly recommended for anyone researching farming or agriculture in Australia, for those writing a family history that includes people who lived on farms or in the bush.  More, though, it is essential reading for all those of us who wonder about the impact of future climate events.

Review by Heather Redmond