Excerpt: Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown
- Archaeolibrarian
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Book details:
Book Title: Outback Odyssey
Series: Standalone
Author Name: Paul Rushworth-Brown
Publication Date: 20th June, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 342
Genre: Historical Fiction / Australian Saga / Cultural Encounters
Any Triggers: Colonial violence, cultural displacement
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1950s Australia. In the wake of war and dislocation, young Yorkshireman Jimmy journeys to the outback, chasing escape but finding something far more dangerous: the truth of himself and the land he now calls home.
What begins as a story of survival becomes a profound allegory of belonging, silence, and identity. As Jimmy collides with love and betrayal, he also encounters the enduring wisdom of the First Peoples — knowledge that most outsiders are too frightened to face, let alone write about.
Outback Odyssey is sweeping and cinematic, a novel of resilience threaded with unexpected twists and allegorical depth. Already under consideration for a screenplay adaptation, it peels back the myths of Australia’s past to reveal what lies beneath: the unspoken histories, the inherited traumas, and the courage it takes to walk a path that others fear.
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The escarpment loomed dark against the star-speckled sky. Jimmy stood in the open, the false map folded tight in his hand as if it were a weapon. Amanda crouched behind a fallen log, heart racing, while Dhirrari melted into the shadows of the gums. Somewhere beyond the clearing, Jarrah and the others watched, silent and ready, guardians bound by duty.
Then the hoofbeats came — slow, deliberate, the sound of horses pushing through the night. Derek had arrived, and he wasn’t alone. Two riders flanked him, their figures pale against the dark bush.
Amanda tightened her grip on the pistol, her breath sharp in her throat. Jimmy shifted, the weight of his father’s silences and his own untested courage pressing down on him.
The night thickened with menace. In that moment Jimmy understood — this was no longer just about a map or a legend of gold. It was about survival, about proving that he could stand his ground in a land that demanded everything.
Paul Rushworth-Brown was born in England and raised in Canada before emigrating to Australia at eighteen, where he became a citizen. By twenty, he had already travelled the world twice, hitchhiked across Australia, and worked as a navvy in outback Queensland — experiences that gave him an enduring respect for resilience, culture, and the landscapes that shape human character.
He later completed a Master’s degree at Charles Sturt University, honing the research skills that underpin his richly detailed novels. A high school teacher and former professional football coach, Paul draws on a lifetime of experience to bring authenticity and depth to his writing.
His novels are known for their cinematic sweep, allegorical undercurrents, and unexpected twists. Outback Odyssey, his fourth book, is a tale of survival and belonging set against the vast backdrop of 1950s Australia. Beneath its page-turning adventure lie questions of identity, silence, and reconciliation — themes that echo long after the final page.
Paul lives in Sydney, where he writes, teaches, and continues to explore the intersections of history and identity.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.paulrushworthbrown.com
Twitter / X: https://x.com/Brown9Paul
Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/4g5kFgZ
Tour hosted by: The Coffee Pot Book Club
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