The Watchnight by Michael Burge

Synopsis :

In a remote Methodist community of NSW in 1852, aspiring lay preacher Charles Murray is tasked with recording the sin of every soul who signs up for a week-long revival.  

He has plenty to work with.  Pardoned convict Thomas Gunson knows the way through the wilderness and agrees to guide the faithful on a circuit of their struggling chapels, though he fears the company of people now that he’s out of his shackles.  Irish settler Oona Farry, recruited as a candle maker, resents the devotion of the women during their ecstatic praising, convinced that God has abandoned her for her lustful secrets.  Even righteous hosts Jacob and Anne Temple harbour transgressions they dare not voice.

But when Californian preacher Charisma Groom stirs up unbridled repentance during a watchnight on the edge of wild country, illicit sex and sudden death come to light.  The congregation is ordered to hunt the devil through the ancient Fish River Caves, a dangerous underworld where raptures more powerful than faith are awakened.

This is a bold reimagining of the untold story of the Methodist settlers who colonised Australia’s renowned Jenolan Caves during the Frontier Wars.

Reviews -

“A compelling mystery, a sharp character study and an ode to the land amidst the brutality of colonial NSW.  I loved it.”   Suzanne Leal

”A deeply empathetic literary thriller that explores the complexities of human relationships.  Subtle, satisfying and gorgeously atmospheric.”   Poppy Gee

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