The Road from Coorain

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In a memoir that pierces and delights, Jill Ker Conway recounts her remarkable journey into adulthood, spanning vast distances and contrasting worlds. At seven, she encountered her first girl child, and by eight, she was galloping across her parents' drought-stricken Australian outback, helping to herd sheep in the absence of men due to World War II. She vividly portrays the harsh yet beautiful landscape that both tormented and captivated the sheep ranchers. Her large-visioned father and strong mother created a warm home amid the challenges of pioneering life, but after her father's sudden death when Jill was ten, her mother fell into depression and dependency. Jill's life shifted dramatically as she navigated suburban Sydney in the 1950s, facing the complexities of school life. The excitement of university brought new ideas and possibilities, yet she struggled with the dual role of caring for her mother while seeking her own identity, often escaping into drink. Gradually, she gained emotional and intellectual strength, embarking on a transformative love affair that propelled her toward self-discovery. Ultimately, Conway became a historian and the first woman president of Smith College. Her story of Coorain reveals the duality of deep-rooted commitments to place and dreams, illustrating childhood as both Eden and anguish, and the journey toward a life of freedom.