Sooterkin

The Sooterkin, a novel "as fantastical as anything in the writings of Garcia Marquez," has earned comparisons to the work of John Irving & Peter Carey. In the winter of 1821 a seal pup is born to ex-convict Sarah Dyer & her husband William, a dishonorably discharged soldier. As the tale spreads it becomes town gossip, newspaper story, scientific topic, theological dispute and--ultimately--a profitable venture. A cavalcade of superbly drawn Dickensian characters arrives to assist & investigate mother & child. Among them are the indelicate & incredulous midwife, Mrs. Jakes; the corpulent & debt-ridden Reverend Kidney, who believes it to be a virgin birth; Dr. Benjamin Banes, a physician who hopes to display the child for financial gain; & the fervent scientist Mr. Sculley, who dubs the infant a "sooterkin" such as the mythical creatures born in past times to Dutch women. The Sooterkin displays the misery of Australia's early colonial days with a wry black humor & a rich, quirky, accomplished prose that add up to a delicious summer frolic.Gilling, Tom is the author of 'Sooterkin' with ISBN 9780670891528 and ISBN 0670891525.