Swords and Crowns and Rings

By Ruth Park

Book Overview

Growing up in an Australian country town before World War I, Jackie Hanna and Cushie Moy are carefree and innocent in their love for each other. But Jackie is a dwarf and his devotion to the beautiful Cushie is condemned by her parents. This is the story of their lifelong odyssey, a story of the triumph of a special kind of courage. Written with warmth and affection, this is a powerful story about human nature and the strength of an unlikely love. Ruth Park brilliantly captures the mood of Australia in the first part of the twentieth century.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1922079510
• ISBN13: 9781922079510
• Release Date: November 2013
• Publisher: Text Classics
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

5.5 Stars. SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOTION PICTURE OR A MINI SERIES!!!

A client of mine came in and said she is listening to the audio of SWORDS AND CROWNS AND RINGS by Ruth Park. Her comment was she didn't want to ruin the story BUT he was born a dwarf had trouble finding work but was a great lover. Well that got my curiousity going as I thought I may have already bought that audio and filed it away. I had it upstairs. So within 1 day of that recommendation I was listening to the audio. The correct beginning is Jackie Hanna is a dwarf who had the most loving mother. His father had trouble accepting Jackie being a dwarf. The father died while Jackie was young. Jackie's mother remarried and the "Nunn" his nickname who gave Jackie total love and support to be confident and achieve. The girl Couchie Moy who lived nearby became Jackies best friend and they both went through their childhood together. Jackie had to leave home at 15 years as noone would give a dwarf a job due to every excuse under the sun. But relatives gave him a job on a fruit farm there were 6 brothers and one girl. 5 of the 6 brothers (most were over 6ft tall) would pick Jackie up like a rag doll and throw him around. One who was drunk often picked on his badly daily. Jackies life was hell but he needed the work. The young female cousin crept into his bed one night and after a few nights of this she ended up being pregnant. But so was Couchie back in town. Back in the depression days you had to marry the girl if she was pregnant. He didn't know that his true love Couchie Moy was pregnant also. The story stretches brilliantly with Jackie's special kind of courage and captures the mood and tempo of Australian life from 1907 until 1931 This story in my opinion is equal to THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough. Highly recommend this wonderful and moving story!!!!!

fantabulous

This is a wonderful book!! My favourite. Ruth Park's writing is beautiful and the story is great.