In the tradition of humorous fictional diaries, Christina Hindhaugh’s quintessentially Australian take on life on a sheep property, For Better, For Worse and For Lunch, is a light and funny read. Published 1992, in a time before the ubiquity of mobile phones, the novel gives a realistic portrait of life on an isolated farm in the latter part of the 20th century.
The humour of the novel begins with the trials and tribulations of the fictional diary writer, Jess, who is newly married and living on the farm with her husband Edward, whom she variously nominates as ‘Edward the Industrious’, ‘Edward the Immodest’ or ‘Edward the Emotional’, depending on the situation at hand.
City born and bred, and miles away from her family and friends, Jess confronts the many challenges that present themselves in the daily run of farm life. Sheep drenching, shearing and pest control, not to mention bushfires, too much rain, not enough rain, crop blight and faulty water pumps test her courage and inner resources. But she manages to triumph over the situations thrown at her, or at least humorously learns to deal with them, and the book is in a sense a coming of age novel for those in their mid-twenties.
Highlighting the differences between city and country life, and her past life with her present life, the character Jess yearns for Melbourne, her former home city. Anticipated trips there are highlights that don’t always eventuate due to pressing events on the farm, and by the end of the book Jess has come to recognise the advantages invested in her new life on the farm.
The various compromises required in a marriage provide further scope for humorous situations. But with growing support from the local community Jess accepts the situations she has not previously had to contend with, including the changes in her husband’s behaviour due to stresses induced by particular times in the farming year such as harvest and lambing.
Jess doesn’t entirely leave her former life behind, and her love of literature shines throughout the book, with literary quotes and book titles making regular appearances. Awarded an OBE for services to women in agriculture, Hindhaugh drew on her own life experiences for the novel. Much of her other written work, encompassing articles, fiction and biography, is also a source of education for people wanting to know about life in the bush, all with a dash of humour thrown in.
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For Better, For Worse and For Lunch by Christina Hindhaugh