'The verse novel genre is ideal for poet and fiction writer Jill Gloyne to convey the rapidly changing life of Jim McFarlane. Through a series of tragedies his old self is shed like the bark of the trees around him revealing a new mask that is both a curse and a key. And like the tender young shoots that grow after a bushfire, love slowly grows back around him. Jill Gloyne's life in regional Australia ensures authentic and memorable rural characters and settings. Join her on this journey of transformation, a rough ride for Jim McFarlane but a rewarding one for lovers of language and genuine stories.' - Jude Aquilina