Rush Oh!
Shirley Barrett

Rush Oh!
Shirley Barrett
Review
by Ele Jenkins
Mary Davidson is the eldest daughter of a whaling family living in Eden on the rugged south coast of New South Wales. In Rush Oh!, she narrates her family’s tumultuous experiences during the whaling season of 1908. It comes as little surprise that eking out a living based on the unpredictable movements of whales and the weather proves to be difficult; the surprising part is that Mary’s story is so bittersweet, relatable and funny.
Much of the book’s wry humour comes from Mary’s attempts to woo the mysterious new crew member, John Beck. Equally endearing are author Shirley Barrett’s portraits of the whaling crew, who include several seasoned Indigenous whalers, a nervous ex-Methodist minister and the disreputable Salty, self-appointed ‘Professor of Whales’.
The most compelling aspect of the story is the cooperation between the Eden whalers and the pod of Killer whales living in Twofold Bay. Tom, the leader of the Killers, is drawn straight from Eden’s whaling history and brought vividly to life, his wilfulness and impatience causing just as much frustration amongst the whalers as excitement. Barrett has drawn skilfully from newspaper reports of the time, and many of the most apparently fanciful parts of the story turn out to be grounded in real historical events.
Barrett does not shy away from the brutality of hunting whales with harpoons, but this story’s morals are satisfyingly complex. Mary and her siblings struggle to reconcile the violence of their family business with the need to make enough money to eat. One of the most moving scenes in the book sees Mary confront her aging father after he rows out to kill a whale on his own, for reasons he cannot fully explain.
Rush Oh! is a thoroughly enjoyable blend of gentle melancholy and warm humour.
Ele Jenkins works as a bookseller at Readings Carlton.
This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in 3-6 days
Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
$29.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Year of Wonders
$19.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

The Burning Elephant
$19.95Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Rush Oh!
$11.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Summertime
$21.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

A Brief History of Seven Killings: WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2015
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

My Relations: By Robin Ann Eakin, Aged 8, 1929
$20.00Buy now
Finding stock availability...

The Fire Sermon
$19.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Unmarry Me
$29.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

The Eye of the Sheep
$19.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

The Women’s Pages
$14.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

The Secret Chord: The Australian Bestseller
$39.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Hope Farm
$29.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Blood Kin
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...