On Our Selection

"On Our Selection" by Steele Rudd is a funny and touching story about a family working hard to make a life for themselves in the Australian countryside long ago. The book is mostly about the father, known as Dad, and his kids as they try to run a farm, deal with family problems, and face the difficulties of living in the bush. When the story starts, the family has just moved to a rough piece of land, and we find out about their hard trip to get there, the simple house Dad built, and the demanding lifestyle they now have to live out in the wilderness. As they begin clearing the land to grow crops, their dreams of a good harvest run into the hard facts of farm life, like stubborn horses and bad weather. Rudd uses a mix of determination, humor, and resilience as the family handles the everyday but difficult work of farming and jokes around with each other. From the start, readers are drawn into a world full of relatable struggles and a strong spirit, offering a thoughtful look at rural life in Australia.