First Minute After Noon

Book excerpt: Set in Australia against the background of a nations changing identity and the sexual revolution of the seventies, First Minute After Noon is a story of loveromantic, marital, and maternal; betrayal; and commitment. It is a story, too, of an emerging sense of being Australian, an exaltation in that vast untouched ancient continent, its muted colors . . . the swirling rhythms of a landscape formed over millions of years (or hours) by wind, water, and the heat of the sun. Born at the darkest hour of the Second World War, Lucy grew up like a displaced English person in a family and a society that valued its British heritage and the traditional roles of its men and women. At the age of twenty-three, she fulfilled societys expectations and married. But Rob was a mystery to her, and she to him. They didnt even argue. Years passed. With two children, their life had stabilized when they met Piers and his wife, Chloe, recently arrived from England.