Book Cover: Love Like Water

Set in Australia’s backcountry, Love Like Water tells the tale of two young people searching for their place in a society still trying to figure itself out. The time is set in the early 1980’s and Australians are experiencing what many Americans faced during the Civil Rights era– how to come to terms with the diversity, cultures, and ethnicities within its borders. Enter our ensemble– Cathy, a country girl unable to voice her emotions; Jay, a radio DJ wanting to be true to his people; and Margie, always eager to play as long as it keeps reality at bay.

Love Like Water revolves around these characters as they each try to determine who they are in the greater scheme of things. Australia is a country as diverse as the United States and has had its own share of racial issues. This story focuses on three young people from very different backgrounds who end up in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere—Alice Springs, a desert, no-water country.

Author Meme McDonald takes her readers into this desert town and peels back the layers of the characters so you can empathize with them. You feel for Cathy as she tries to stand up for herself and tackles the myriad of emotions between her boss (a father-figure) and the Aborigine DJ. Her best friend, Margie, seems to be the life of the party until you realize just how fragile her emotions are and how low her self-esteem is. Suddenly, Cathy and Margie’s roles are reversed, as Cathy becomes the stronger of the two. Then there’s Jason “Jay” Johnstone. A native of Australia, he left home looking for his destiny. Now after having some success, he’s returning to his country to “claim his heritage.” He’s a young man wanting to be accepted for who he is—not judged on his ethnicity or heritage.

While the Australian slang can make this book a bit difficult to read underneath it all are universal emotions—fear, anxiousness, humor, wariness, pride, desire, and love. McDonald knows her people and lovingly reveals their flaws, foibles, and their strength. The book doesn’t come across as a book highlighting racial issues of a country, but as a story of people triumphing over their prejudices and emerging stronger for the process.