A tribute to the Granite Belt and its people
Shaped of Granite is a historical novel that traces the history of the Granite Belt over the last century through its fictitious characters.
It tells a very human story full of passion, crime, trauma and hardship as well as the resourcefulness and resilience required to survive and prosper in the tough country that many of us now call home.
While the central characters are fictitious, they draw on the experiences of real people and there is some reference to historical figures. The novel begins with the tragedy of the First World War, which shaped the lives of soldier settlers. The migration of Italian families and their profound influence on the region is celebrated. The development of the horticultural and wine industries provides a background for many fascinating aspects of Granite Belt history.
These include the sanatorium for tuberculosis patients; the visit of the Prince of Wales to the Pikedale settlement; the contribution of the 25th Battalion, the Darling Downs Regiment, at the Battle of Milne Bay and the advent of the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival.
The effect of world events, such as the Spanish flu pandemic and the Great Depression, and cultural phenomena such as Don Bradman and Phar Lap, are viewed through the eyes of the novel's characters. Themes include the pathos and waste of war, the regrettable history of racial prejudice directed towards Indigenous people and migrants and the tenacity, resourcefulness and resilience of the people that have made the Granite Belt region their home.
This book is for those who love our region and want to explore much of our history through great storytelling.
Buy the book
The book will be available for purchase at the book launch where Cynan will personally sign all copies.
It is also available on Amazon and Booktopia - search on these sites for ‘Shaped by Granite Cynan Lewis’ and you find it.
About the Author:Cynan Lewis
Cynan Lewis was born in the Australian territory of Papua New Guinea, has lived with his American wife, Penny, in the town of Stanthorpe for over twenty years. Two of their three children were born in the town, their first in the US state of Texas. Initially attraced to the physical beauty and climate of the granite belt region, th has been the unique community of talented, industrious, diverse and friendly people that make thm stay. Cynan works as a physioptherapist and is an avid cyclist (Stanthorpe Road Club) and kayaker. He plays the bagpipes in the Stanthorpe RSL Pipe Band and has tried his hand at Shakespaerean acting with the Stanthorpe Little Theatre. Shaped of Granite, a tribute to the Granite Belt and its people, is his first novel.