Thea Astley’s novel, It’s Raining in Mango, first published in 1987, and David Malouf’s novel, The Great World, first published in 1990, create retrospective views of Australia in the world by telling the stories of Australian families. Written by authors born in Queensland, both novels look back over major international events of the twentieth century, one from the perspective of tropical Queensland and the other from that of “Keen’s Crossing” thirty miles north-west of Sydney. Both novels offer insights into Australia’s complex interconnectedness with the international community especially Asia.

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