Cross my Heart.

Maureen McCarthy. 1993/2002. Read by Kate Hood. 6 tapes. 10 hrs. Bolinda Audio. 1-74030-704-6. $28.21. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. JSA*

This authentically Australian story should appeal to YAs since it shows two rebels straightening out their lives but not changing their basic personalities to mush. Michelle is pregnant and about to be dragooned into marriage with a boring man when she runs away from home. Mick has just been released from jail and is heading north on his motorcycle to look for work. They meet on the road and decide to travel together, because she has some money and he has the means of transportation. Eventually, their initially businesslike relationship develops into a loving one. Meanwhile, their lives are filled with the quarrels, disappointments, hard work, and small triumphs that occur in the lives of young people scrambling to keep themselves going in the toughest of circumstances. In what is essentially a gripping, fast-paced, coming-of-age story, they both emerge significantly changed for the better.

In a perfect narration Hood captures every character, from the rebellious teenaged Michelle, her whiny mother, the soft-voiced Aborigines, and the hard-bitten women of the Outback to the tough but tender young Mick, his pals in prison, and his fellow workers. As an Australian, Hood knows the accents and intonations of their speech and presents them authentically and with sympathy. The huge, dry, awesome countryside is described in vivid detail, and the characters are well developed and believable. Passages dealing with sex are a natural part of the developing commitment between Michelle and Mick. Life in the Outback is gritty and exhausting, but love and loyalty flourish despite the hardships. Pat Dole, Ricmond, VA