Letters home

About this book

Sapper Hubert Anthony was 17 when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in October 1914. He wrote deeply affectionate letters home to his mother in outback New South Wales. They show the thoughts of a young man encountering the world for the first time, provide great insights into the relationship between a son and his mother, and tell of a long-gone period in Australia's rural history. But these letters offer more. They give a fleeting picture of Honora McNab, a young girl who escaped the famine in Ireland for service in outback Queensland, a woman who endured the loneliness and hardship of bush life and a mother who instilled in her children a curiosity and deep eagerness to learn. Letters Home is a rich and intimate portrait of a different time, the sadness of war and the enduring nature of family.