This novel hummed to me in such a strong voice, I found myself slowing down my pace in order to relish the experience.  There is something intriguing about Australia, almost a mirror image of the United States but dramatically different.  As in Dermot Bolger's "Father's Music," the music metaphor and its connection to the people in the story makes it almost a character in itself.  The descriptions of the land are so vivid, you almost feel the dust in your throat.  But what made this book soar for me was its ruminations on the nature of love.  Not romantic love, but love warts and all -- the lost love of a man for his family, the lessening of love between a man and a woman, the complicated love a woman feels for her own highly dysfunctional siblings.  I recommend this book, without any reservation.