Review: Ned Manning’s Painting the Light
Image: Ned Manning. Image: Facebook
By Swagatalakshmi Roychowdury
Set in the backdrop of World War II, Painting The Light by Ned Manning is a story of love between two lost people and love for their country. An extraordinary tale of love and loss, this novel sheds light upon the unfolding political drama and the Australian landscape of the twentieth century. It is a book that takes you back to the roots. The roots of Industrial era and capitalism.
The protagonist Nell Hope, who is the daughter of one of Australia’s leading merino breeders, is a free-spirited woman who dreams of becoming an artist in Paris. She spoke out against the double standards of how her parents treated her versus her brother Jock. She loved nature and aspired to capture the beauty she saw around her in her paintings. As a creative soul, all she dreamt of was to run away to fulfil her dreams.
Alec Murray, on the other hand, left the legal career his father had set out for him to try his luck at converting scrub country in Central western New South Wales into viable farming land. With an educated background, Alec finds it hard to not speak up against fascism, especially Nazism, in the twentieth century. He became one of the youngest people to represent his district at the Graziers’ Council meeting in Sydney. From there on, he went on to earn a safe seat in the parliament and then there was no turning back. Full of courage, Alec spoke up about the exploitation of striking abattoir workers by the “rich cockies”. He was determined to join the war and fight against injustices. In search of their own journeys, Nell and Alec crossed paths. They met at a nightclub in Sydney the next time they met.
“Not many women [get what they want], do they?” she rhetorically asked Alec when they danced together for the first time. I found that quote profound considering that society at that time was more patriarchal. Nell and Alec went on to fall in love. They rooted for each other even when they knew they would be shunned by their families and their friends.
One highlight in the book was the relationship Alec built up with Bernie, an Indigenous Australian who helped him build up Toongowan, the scrub country, into a working property. Alec learnt more about Bernie and his background in the Gamilaroi Country.
The bond between Alec and Bernie was especially endearing. Bernie is a reminder of the country the colonisers burnt down to build up their own. Alec’s love for the land and his act of building up the land alongside Bernie was touching. They found comfort and strength working together and eventually opened up to each other.
The author Ned Manning based the novel upon real-life events that took place in the lives of his parents, Margot Body and Alan Manning. The novel highlights the ravages of war and the strength it takes to fight for one’s principles. The story was beautifully narrated and it was easy to lose oneself in the pages. Overall, it was a great read.
