The Drowner


The Drowner is a novel by Australian author Robert Drewe.
It was shortlisted for Miles Franklin Award, and won the Vance Palmer
Prize for Fiction and New [South Wales Premier's Literary Awards] — Book of the Year in 1997.

Plot summary

In the late 19th century an Englishman irrigator or "drowner", Will Dance, utilises ancient water-knowledge and modern technology to save a drought-ridden town in Western Australia.

Reviews

  • Publishers' Weekly noted: "The desert mining town,..., comes fully to life, invigorated by crisp and moving portrayals of Drewe's minor characters and the monotonous beauty of the hostile countryside."
  • Garth Crawford in Woroni stated: "In his mastery of image, and spare but beautiful descriptions of this quest, Drewe reveals his strongest claim to pre-eminence. The Drowner is by an author who enjoys words, weighs and places each without mistaking linguistic asceticism for aestheticism."

Awards and nominations