Rosa is a woman who grew up in the bush of southern Queensland. At school she discovered she could sing and it became her abiding passion. While this book tells about her life and career, she couldn't do it on her own, so her story is as much about the people she loved and who loved her back, and looked out for her.
Her determination and talent brings stardom, but at a cost. Those blessed with an aura of success, like any of us, are plagued by loneliness, illness and loss. But life for Rosa and the people she loves and works with is never dull; every day seems to bring a new challenge to be embraced.
'He'd been drinking at the Regatta ...and next thing, he skolled a glass, leapt up on the parapet, did a handstand slowly, and hand walked the whole length of the balcony. A hand misplaced by an inch and he was dead...'
Riding Scrimple in the valley shortly after sunrise felt the only place where she belonged, the only place she could sing whenever or whatever she wanted ... as a little girl she discovered that singing crushed some of the awful dreams.'
It was like she had to be a vocal dancer or athlete. Keep to the beat; keep in tune! How was it done? Surely it must be better than what was going on? She had this aural vision of these people around her groaning or moaning.'
All she could do was suspend judgement, her world and any other place or person, for this minute, hour, day ... She stood on the little terrace, her eyes moving from him to the view of a village, hillsides, and the blues, ochres, sages of sky and landscape.
'The way you sang that long last song was more than brilliant; it said something to me about the power of communication through music I've never known.'
'Your memory or your truth, he said, can change depending on how you are living the moment of your recollection'
'He's head over heels. Like the old song, 'say yes to Mr Brown!''
'They were tough times back then, girlie.'
'It was their true retreat, almost magical in its brilliance and remoteness ...'
'No, not without you .... we must stay together...'
'She laughed and said [the One Teacher School] ... is like an exclusive prep school except there are no fees ...'
'... the front desk left last week ... we're on our own ...'
