Novel
The Harp in the South
Ruth Park · 1948
Synopsis
At 12½ Plymouth Street, in Surry Hills, a slum district of Sydney populated by Irish Catholic families, live the Darcys: Hughie, the father, who drinks with his Protestant friend Patrick Diamond, Margaret, the mother, pious and stern, and their daughters Roie and Dolour, the brilliant younger one whom everyone hopes will make good. Thady, the middle child, disappeared in the streets at the age of six and was never found. Roie, gentle and full of hope, falls in love with Tommy, who seduces her and then disappears.
Context
In October 1945, the Sydney Morning Herald endowed a competition with a prize of two thousand pounds for the best novel; the manuscript won it in December 1946 over one hundred and seventy-five entries. The newspaper published it in twelve instalments from 4 January 1947, and the summary prompted a flood of letters, sixty-eight for, fifty-four against; the author attributed part of the hostility to being a woman and a New Zealander. Angus and Robertson, reluctant, published the book in 1948. A sequel appeared in 1949, a prequel in 1985, and a television series was drawn from it in 1987.
Who it is for
A novel in English, easy to read, about the poverty of a Sydney neighbourhood; no French translation.
Prizes and reception
Awarded a prize by a Sydney daily before it was printed, it is regarded, according to SuperSummary, as one of the best-loved books in the country.
Sources for this page 3
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