Max R. P. Grossmann
Colm lives in the 1950s in an English orphanage. He agrees to go to Australia. But soon he recognizes that Australian orphanages are not better than in England - in fact they are worse. He is beaten, insulted as a liar and all that under the halo of Christianity. The day after his friend Tommy dies, the boy leaves the orphanage and sets out for his mother. Colm has nothing to lose. Until he meets Bill, a former actor, and his dog Rusty: it is the family Colm never had. A wild adventure begins. But soon, Bill's mysterious past starts to catch up with them.
"A Prayer for Blue Delaney" is an English book of the highest class. It describes the life and the dangers in the Australian Outback and the meeting of all characters very well. Everything is described so precisely and without hesitation, that it is fun to read the book. While the book itself is very captivating, author Murray set a lot of storylines that make the whole work perfect and very credible. Among other things, also the Stolen Generations occur in the book. Thus, this book describes a part of Australian history.
The relationships among the actors are worked out very well. While always a bit remains open, step by step something is lifted from Bill's past. Even the conditions in the Australian orphanages are well described, while each property of a thing is mercilessly exposed, but not evaluated. "A Prayer for Blue Delaney" finds the heart of the matter and it awakes the interest in topics related complexes.
"A Prayer for Blue Delaney" is an excellent and unique book that can be recommended to everyone interested in Australia – not only because of the learning effect on the stolen generations, or about Australia itself.