Our Sunshine.

OUR SUNSHINE. Robert Drewe. 1991/2003. Read by Michael Veitch. 4 cds. 3.5 hrs, Bolinda Audio (PO Box 307, Shelton, CT 06484). 1-74093-031-2. $32.00. Vinyl; plot notes. A

The Australian desperado Ned Kelly and his gang make the James boys look like wimps. Born into a poor Irish family with a rough, neglectful father and a mother prone to drink and men, he and his brothers cut a swathe through late 19th-century eastern Australia robbing banks. stealing horses, killing police (and others who displease them), and chasing women. As a result, Ned is public enemy number one in the British Empire and a folk hero to the Australian underclass. The Irish settlers are particularly abused and disdained by the English, and resentments run high.

In his imaginative and empathetic recreation of Ned Kelly's life, the author, a native Australian. imbues his portrayal not only with a horrific, bloody, profane realism, but also, still speaking in the voice of the protagonist, with a tender lyricism in his musings about nature. Thus he raises Kelly above the level of degraded brute to a man desperate for his share of the good life and clawing for it in the only way he knows.

The clear, semi-voiced narration of Australian Veitch has power and authority, effectively presenting a challenging work filled with callous cruelties and painful vividness depicting a heartbreaking era in Australian history. I would give this an R rating for sex. gore, and vulgarity, but it is a compelling novel.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

Pat Dole, Richmond, VA