Review of Keith De Lacy's "Blood Stains the Wattle."


Finished reading this novel by Keith De Lacy a while back.

"Blood Stains the Wattle," is set during the Mt Isa disputes in the 60s. The protagonist, Peter Moonie, starts working in the mines just before "The Blue" starts. He finds his industrial feet in the first dispute, and becomes a leader in the second dispute. It is implied he was one of the workers blacklisted after the defeat.

The novel focuses on a controversial Love Triangle centring on Peter between Margret and Patricia. Margret is passionate and irreverent while Patricia is a practicing Catholic. Peter was raised Anglican, and even as he starts to find his faith he acknowledged he can never be a Catholic. Peter initially dates Margret for several years, but that relationship ends abruptly. Patricia, meanwhile sticks to her principle and to her love, defending him in AWU circles while simultaneously criticising his every action as a strike leader. Toward the end of the book, Peter realises this is because she loves him (with a few lines of him trying to make sense of it, suggesting to me he was autistic by today's standards).

I found the book relatable. Perhaps it's coincidence or perhaps it's the nature of the workers movement, but I went through a similar love triangle years ago, complete with similar moral dynamics to all of it. Except I refused to marry the Catholic (whole story there that I will not elaborate on here), and ended up single as of writing.
 

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