The Black Opal

Set on a remote Australian opal field called Fallen Star Ridge, this early novel from Katharine Susannah Prichard follows a small band of miners, the gougers, who share their strikes and their hard luck alike. Their easy fellowship comes under strain when an American company arrives hoping to buy up the field and run it on commercial lines, forcing the community to weigh independence against the promise of steady money. At the heart of the story is young Sophie Rouminof, torn between the ridge and the wider world after her mother’s death and her father’s fixation on the opals. Prichard writes the mining life with real feeling for its people and their harsh, luminous landscape. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available here.