This is a slender volume, ostensibly a children's horror story. Set in the Australian countryside, it portrays the confrontation between an elderly woman who runs away from her well meaning family to live on a farm inherited from her recently deceased sibling, and the cranky land spirit who claims the land. I found it very chilling, and a depressing depiction of the way that us white folk take possession and assume that this is good. Incredible use of Australian mythology and landscape, wonderfully depicted characters, writing so good that I couldn't keep reading, and had to keep walking away, because I was so creeped out by it. A classic example of Wrightson's work - thoroughly recommended. ( )