"The Wonder-Child: An Australian Story" is a late 19th-century novel that delves into the lives of a family living in rural Australia. The narrative highlights the family's journey through life's challenges, with a focus on the exceptional talent of one of the children, a young musician. The story explores themes of aspiration, talent, familial bonds, and the dynamics of rural life. At the beginning, the family is introduced as they move from school to home, with each childÍs personality and individual dreams shaping the early chapters. The young ones display contrasting aspirations and desires, which reflect the complexities of their social status and the realities they face. Through their interactions, the narrative subtly reveals the family's hopes for a brighter future, particularly through the musical potential of one child. As the story progresses, it presents the tension between childhood innocence and the adult struggles that will shape their futures. This story sets the stage for the exploration of personal growth, familial relationships, and the pursuit of dreams against the backdrop of rural Australia.
Ethel Turner, who was born in England in 1870, travelled to Australia when she was ten years old along with her mother and sisters. While at school, she demonstrated a strong interest in literature, and in her late teens, she and her sister Lilian Turner founded a literary and social magazine in Sydney. For an astounding 62 years, Ethel chronicled her full and exciting life in journals. She wrote in her diary in January 1893, "Night started a new story that I shall call Seven Little Australians." She completed the book later that year, packaged it, and submitted it to a Melbourne publisher. Throughout her life, Ethel Turner authored more than 40 volumes, many of which were collections of poems, short stories, and children's stories that were published in the Sun Herald and Town and Country magazines. Children all throughout the world have read and adored Seven Little Australians, and the book has been in continuous publication for more than a century.
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