Book Review #515 - When We Were Two by Robert Newton

Dan had to go,

He felt he had no choice,

but leaving home was never

going to be easy . . . 

Dan and his brother Eddie take off for the coast, in search of their lost mother, in search of a better life . . . but it's a long road they face and Dan must use all his wits to get them there in one piece.

When they are taken under the wings of a group of would-be soldiers marching over the mountains to join up for the Great War, Dan and Eddie's journey becomes something quite unexpected. The experiences they share will shape their future beyond recognition.

This extraordinary rite of passage is a powerful, heart-rending story – Robert Newton at his very best.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I knew nothing about this book before reading it and I only decided to borrow it from the Library solely based on the cover. 

This book is set in war-time Queensland, which is one of the 3 Australian states that I have never been to. 

This book was absolutely beautifully written and it weaved the enchanting story telling perfectly with the endlessly dimensional characters. 

My only problem with this book was that I picked a bad time to read it. I wasn't able to read it for long periods of time and so wasn't able to get any continuity with it. This definitely impacted my overall enjoyment. 

This book follows brothers Dan and Eddie on their journey full of hope whilst escaping from their abusive father. This journey ends up defining their lives. 

I loved their brotherly relationship and even though I think it is extremely hard to capture the true Australian spirit in a character without it coming across as stereotypical, I think that it was really pulled off with Dan. 

Eddie was the most enjoyable character in the book. His energy was evident on just about every page.