The Hungry Heart

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

From 1964 to 1985, Griffiths worked for the Australian Inland Mission, helping to develop medical, educational and social services among the scattered communities in the Outback. This engaging account chronicles his experiences during years marked by change as new mines--mostly iron, copper and coal--were opened in ``instant'' towns, and the health problems of Aborigines were brought to light. He notes with admiration the efforts of dedicated nurses who staff local clinics, working in communities that are separated by vast distances, some of which are accessible only by small plane. Recounting in vivid detail the devastation wrought in the city of Darwin by a cyclone in 1974, Griffiths affectingly portrays individuals whose lives are marked by a harsh climate and isolation. Photos. (July)

Alice Joyce

Griffiths gained an intimate knowledge of Australia's most remote regions during many years of involvement with the Australian Inland Mission. In reflecting back on experiences during that period--from 1964 to 1985--he presents a sensitive and penetrating recounting of the harsh realities of day-to-day living for the aboriginal people committed to their homeland, and also for the health-care workers, the miners and their families, and other struggling but determined inhabitants of the isolated Outback. This insider's account addresses issues such as the ongoing efforts to improve general living conditions and the plight of children who lack basic educational facilities. Most of all, Griffiths surveys and assesses a rare landscape and its diverse peoples somehow frozen in a time long past.