Divine wind

By Garry Fisher

Subjects: Australia, Broome, War, History, Hurricanes

Description: *The Divine wind is set in the small town of Broome in northwestern Australia during World War 2 (1939-1945). Broome's Roebuck Bay is on the Indian Ocean and the sea is a quintessential part of Hartley (Hart) Penrose's life. It is againist a background of racial prejudice and the dislocation of war that the story of Hartley's love for Mitsy, a girl of Japanese descent, is played out. After a carefree childhood and early adolescence, Hart and Mitsy explore dimensions of love and friendship. Hart comes to realise that relationships involve complex emotions and that one’s motives are not always admirable when dealing with other people. He quickly becomes intensely jealous of his friend Jamie Kilian’s affection for Mitsy and consequently spies on him. Furthermore, the war changes life for everyone in Broome and Mitsy is caught up in the racial vilification that festers against anyone suspected of having dealings with the enemy. When his sister is declared ‘missing’, even Hart temporarily turns against Mitsy because of her background. Hart must overcome a tendency towards self-pity and a propensity for drifting, particularly after he is injured during one of his father’s pearling operations. Caught in a cyclonic storm while taking a foolhardy risk with his ship, Michael Penrose must accept the guilt of risking his own life, his son’s life and the lives of his crew and divers on the pearling ship of which he is the captain. Mitsy’s father is one of the divers who, after saving Hart’s life, drowns at sea, thus further complicating the young lovers’ story. Hart must also deal with the loss of his mother, who deserts his father and returns to England, only to be killed during the London Blitz. Hart struggles to think and act independently when gross injustices occur. For example, his support for the often drunk but amiable Aboriginal stockman, Derby Boxer, is invariably prompted by the actions of others – Mitsy, his sister Alice and his father Michael. Although his behaviour overall is relatively inoffensive given the blatant racism and fear-mongering circulating in Broome during this period, Hart’s actions are not always honourable, as he himself acknowledges. This novel invites the reader to reflect on the nature of love, on friendship and on the propensity within each individual for both loyalty and betrayal. At the heart of the drama is the struggle everyone faces to overcome their weaknesses and realise their potential for developing positive, sustaining relationships.