"The moments of bliss are rare, but for Shirley Walker the sensual delights of the rainforest, sea and pasture of her childhood on the NSW North Coast remain a source of celebration all her life. Her dry humour and intimate tone engage and seduce us as her narrative moves backwards and forwards in time, east to the abundance of the Byron Bay hinterland and north to the hardships of the soldier-settler farm she and her husband established in North Queensland." "Writing of four generations of family, both her own and her husband's, the author shows the insularity of small towns, the rigid class and caste divisions and the effects of two world wars on Australian lives. She tells extraordinary stories of pioneering struggles, deep religious divisions and conflict within the family. Her account of the education process that enabled her to move beyond these confines into an academic career make fascinating reading. This finely observed memoir ranges widely through landscape, politics and Australian history."--Jacket.