Death of a Whaler

Newton's second novel (following The Lambing Flat) follows eccentric, personable gimp Flinch, who ekes out an existence in 1975 while living in the lighthouse cottage of eastern Australia's Byron Bay. He's anguished by guilt for his accidental killing of his best friend, Nate West, 13 years before, and has painful memories of his autocratic, unhappy mother. His half-hearted diversions are caring for the semi-feral but always comical goats, surf fishing, and drinking his rum until he befriends the free-spirited commune girl Karma. Formerly a whale spotter on a fishing boat, Flinch introduces Karma to the graceful whales. Karma's abrupt trip to settle some family business reveals to Flinch how much she really means to him. Discernable echoes of E. Annie Proulx's The Shipping News don't detract from this novel's own memorable protagonist skillfully tied to his maritime setting.