AustLit

''Two That Got Away' is a novel in five parts, a story set not within, but more on the periphery, of the rock lobster industry. Its principal characters are also peripheral, to society: Rus, a jaded writer/actor turned deckhand, and Possum, a former farmer with psychological problems who has turned to lobster fishing. Rus lives in a cluttered beach cottage, 'The Shack', on Possum's coastal farmland. The beachside location is at Kelpy Point, off which their lobster vessel is moored. A few K's away lies Port Gong, fishing community, its ways a mystery to most city dwellers, its conversations coloured by inventive old-style Aussie vernacular, its attitudes out of sync with contemporary Oz society Like most professional fishing days, 'Two That Got Away' starts at a leisurely pace and then builds. William 'Walrus' Rose, having had a gutful of big city life and of The Arts scene, has made a dinkum sea-change. Setting a course for bluer pastures has seen him drift into this ocean-eroded area, earn a shorter nickname ('Rus'), and find work on the local fleet's smallest lobster boat. For almost two fishing seasons now, off a wild coast, Rus has deckied for eccentric and loveable but psychologically shaky Possum Wright. Despite poor catches, for Rus all has been cruising along okay, encounters with local personalities providing additional, if sometimes edgy, interest. Deep down however, he harbours one major concern: How, despite his obvious sea skills, will Possum react in a real crisis? They are destined to sail into a terrifying situation. Rus is about to find out. The Southern Ocean is a wondrous but challenging workplace. When its waters turn murderous, it is no place to find yourself in a small craft beside a man, far more your mate than your boss, who appears to be losing his mind.' (Publication summary)