The Sun Walks Down is a breathtaking novel by Fiona McFarlane that follows a boy lost in the Australian outback and the community trying to find him. The year is 1883, and Denny Wallace is six years old. One afternoon, during a dust storm, Denny wanders away from home and finds he can’t find his way back. With its stretches of unpopulated land, wild animals, and harsh sun, the Australian outback is an unforgiving place, especially at this point in history; locals know that, if a child becomes lost, there are only a certain number of days in which you can hope for survival. And so, with the clock bearing down on them, the small town of Fairly goes out in search of Denny. As the days elapse, the novel takes on the perspective of various townspeople, some closely tied to Denny and some who have just a fleeting connection to the situation; we get inside the minds of Denny’s father and mother, his five sisters, the policemen and the Aboriginal trackers, a Swedish couple traveling though Australia for their art, the postman, and so many others. In sweeping, vivid language and with a propulsive plot that pulls you forward, The Sun Walks Down explores the complex relationships and tensions that exist within a small South Australian community.

Refreshing in both its subject matter and style, The Sun Walks Down feels like an exciting new frontier. I haven’t read much at all about Australia, and I relished learning about the continent’s rich, complicated history alongside such a moving fictional story (as much as I love historical fiction set in London or New York, it’s wonderful having other topics to explore). One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the way McFarlane writes about the Australian landscape; her vivid language conveys a sense of awe—for its beauty, its harshness, its inscrutability—in such an impactful way. From this, and from the impressive amount of personal details with which she builds her (many, many) characters, it’s clear that a lot of research went into this novel. I’ll admit that I was initially hesitant to pick up this book because of its subject matter—I didn’t know if I could read about a missing child—but, without spoiling anything, I want to offer reassurance that you never see any direct harm come to Denny, and the overall tone is hopeful. The Sun Walks Down is a challenging and invigorating read, and I absolutely loved it.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who loves when there’s a web of various, wide-ranging characters all tied to one, singular event… it’s similar in style to Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
• Anyone interested in historical fiction about family and survival and progress… it’s similar in theme to East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• Anyone drawn to books that feel expansive, curious, and slightly mystical… it’s similar in tone to Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell