The Mountain

Author(s): Drusilla Modjeska

Fiction | Staff Favourites

A luminously written, rich tale of a country on the brink of independence, and split personal loyalties within postcolonial society


In 1968, Papua New Guinea is on the brink of independence, and everything is about to change. Amidst the turmoil ethnographic filmmaker Leonard arrives from England with his Dutch wife, Rika, to study and film an isolated village high in the mountains. The villagers' customs and art have been passed down through generations, and Rika is immediately struck by their paintings on a cloth made of bark. Rika and Leonard are also confronted with the new university in Moresby, where intellectual ambition and the idealism of youth are creating friction among locals such as Milton, a hot-headed young playwright, and visiting westerners, such as Martha, to whom Rika becomes close. But it is when Rika meets brothers Jacob and Aaron that all their lives are changed forever. Drusilla Modjeska's sweeping novel takes us deep into this fascinating, complex country, whose culture and people cannot escape the march of modernity that threatens to overwhelm them. Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, this is a riveting story of love, loss, grief, and betrayal.

This vibrant novel spans 30 years of history in Papua New Guinea, from pre-independence to the celebrations, 30 years later. It is a love story of both the characters and the country, celebrating its beauty while highlighting the problems it faces. ->SARAH

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Product Information

Shortlisted for Miles Franklin Literary Award 2013.

General Fields

  • : 9781742758954
  • : Random House Australia
  • : Vintage
  • : April 2013
  • : August 2013
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Drusilla Modjeska
  • : 432